§ 38. Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked whether the inquiry into the conditions of the telephone workers at Nottingham, which it is alleged have been worsened since the transfer of the works to the Post Office, has yet been completed; and, if so, can he state whether it is proposed to remunerate these servants as they were remunerated prior to the transfer?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe inquiry has been completed. The forty-eight hour week has been definitely adopted by the Government for factory workers. The Nottingham men and women who worked for fifty-two hours a week under the National Telephone Company have now the advantage of the shorter hours, and must necessarily, if paid at hourly rates, have their wages calculated on the number of hours actually worked. But the rates themselves have been carefully revised, and, in the case of about 67 per cent, of the staff affected, have been increased.
§ 40. Mr. REMNANTasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the total number of men transferred from the late National Telephone Company who have been placed into grades where the maximum is less than the wages they are now actually receiving?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe number of persons transferred from the National Telephone Company whose pay is greater than the maximum of the Post Office class in which they are placed is 1,174. In all cases where a definite maximum was announced by the company 828 this maximum will be recognised by the Post Office under the same conditions as a personal concession to the officers concerned.
§ 41. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the number of men taken over from the late National Telephone Company, Limited, who were paid by the National Telephone Company on a weekly basis, granting full pay for sickness, double time for Sunday duty, and who have now been informed that they are placed in a grade where they are considered hourly servants, receive two-thirds pay for sickness, and time and a half for Sunday duty?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe number of men concerned is approximately 1,680. Full sick pay was granted by the company, however, for a limited period only —usually two weeks and rarely exceeding a month. Under the Post Office rules two-thirds' sick pay may be allowed for three months. Most of the men in question will be placed on the Post Office establishment in due course, when they will become pensionable, and also receive full pay during sickness for a period of six months and half-pay for a further period of six months.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the right hon. Gentleman say what "in due course" means, and when they would be placed on the establishment?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs the hon. Member is aware there is a certain proportion of posts on the establishment and a certain proportion of unestablished posts, and the former class are recruited from the latter as vacancies occur.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the right hon. Gentleman say when these 1,600 cases are likely to be put on the establishment, and if they will have the same privileges they had under the telephone service?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not think any particular date can be mentioned. It depends on their length of service, and if the hon. Member will be good enough to put down a question I will give him such information as I can.
§ 43. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked if the-right hon. Gentleman will state the average wage paid by the Department to telephonists in London who were trans- 829 ferred from the National Telephone Company and who have seven years or more combined National Telephone Company and General Post Office service; the aver age wage paid by the Department to telephonists in London who were transferred from the National Telephone Company and who have five years but not more than seven years combined National Telephone Company and General Post Office service; and the average wage paid by the Department to telephonists in London who were transferred from the National Telephone Company and who have three and a-half years but not more than five years combined National Telephone Company and General Post Office service?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs regards telephonists transferred from the company who are employed within the London postal aera, the average pay of the officers included in the first two groups referred to in the hon. Member's question is 21s. a week; the estimated average for the third group is 20s. 4d. a week.
44. Mr. MONTAGUE BARLOWasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the total number of superintendent engineers, assistant superintendent engineers, executive engineers, and assistant engineers engaged in the telephone engineering branch of the General Post Office at the present date; and the number of ex-National Telephone Company's officers appointed superintendent engineers, assistant superintending engineers, executive engineers, and assistant engineers for London and the provinces, respectively?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe total numbers of the Post Office engineering staff are as follows:—
These figures include the transferees from the National Telephone Company, who number two, nineteen and twenty-three respectively on the last three classes. The Post Office engineers are not confined to telephone work, but are employed also upon telegraph and other branches of engineering.
Superintending Engineers 14 Assistant Superintending Engineers 25 Executive Engineers 101 Assistant Engineers 217
51. Mr. MONTAGUE BARLOWasked the Postmaster-General if he will state the average wage paid to telephonists in London, other than those transferred from the National Telephone Company, who 830 have seven or more than seven years' service; the average wage paid to telephonists in London, other than those transferred from the National Telephone Company, who have five but not more than seven years' service; and the average wage paid to telephonists in London, other than those transferred from the National Telephone Company, who have three and a half but not more than five years' service?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe average pay of the telephonists employed within the London postal area (other than those transferred from the National Telephone Company) is estimated at 27s. 1d. a week for the officers included in the first group; 23s. 10d. a week for the second group; and 21s. 5d. a week for the third group.
§ 52. Mr. CAVEasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the number of the male staff transferred from the National Telephone Company who will be called upon, to work under the Post Office classification hours in excess of those worked per week under the National Telephone Company; and the number of men transferred from the National Telephone Company who will be required to work hours in excess of forty-eight hours per week?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe number of male officers transferred from the National Telephone Company, who under the Post Office will be required to work longer hours than those worked under the company is approximately 2,250. In the majority of cases the additional time is only half-an-hour. The number of men who will be required to work more than forty-eight hours is 6,514. I may add that a very large number of men in the engineering branch will have their working hours reduced by two and a half hours per week as the result of the transfer.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWhat benefit is that to the 6,000 people who have to work longer hours?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThere was no pledge given that no one would be required to work longer hours—no pledge at all.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSDid not the right hon. Gentleman give a pledge that no one would suffer by the transfer?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELYes, and no one has suffered by the transfer. The 831 whole has to be taken into account, the rough with the smooth, and I think there is very much more smooth than rough.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSThat is a matter of opinion.