§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Postmaster-General how many members of the telegraph messenger staff are permanently employed on indoor duties in the telegraph department of the Belfast post office, and what is their respective rate of weekly pay; whether in rotation they are called upon to perform a duty of eight hours on one Sunday in every four without remuneration, and, if so, upon what grounds, and how many are invariably employed on duty each Sunday; and whether the members of the indoor telegraph messenger staff are the only individuals in the employment of the Post Office who are obliged to discharge Sunday duty without remuneration; and can he state the principle upon which they are thus so exceptionally treated as compared with other members of the service.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) Nine telegraph messengers are permanently employed on indoor duties in the telegraph department at Belfast, they are on scale wages, 8s. by 1s. to 10s. a week. In rotation, two of them are called upon to perform about seven and a half hours 1109 duty, once every fourth Sunday, on an average. The pay for telegraph messengers, both indoor and outdoor, is based upon a weekly attendance, covering the whole seven days. There are other classes of post office servants whose weekly wages include payment for regular duty on Sundays.