§ 81. Mr. BYRNEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what steps have been taken to remedy the grievance of Irish railway clerks, who are denied payment of war allowance on overtime from 1st September, 1917, to 30th April, 1918; whether instructions were issued by the Board of Trade Department to the Irish Railway Executive Committee authorising payment of overtime as from 1st September, 1917, at the combined rate, i.e., salary plus war allowance, and why were such instructions not given effect to; if he is aware that the overtime performed by the clerks on Irish railways between the dates given was compulsory, inasmuch as that it was necessitated by the compilation of Government statistics of urgent importance and could only be done by clerks conversant with such duties; and if he will now take steps to have these arrears paid?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe war bonus granted to members of the clerical staff on the Irish railways has not, I understand, been converted into a war wage, and the Irish Railway Executive Committee see no grounds for taking this course. The overtime worked by Irish railway clerks is, the Committee have stated, relatively inconsiderable, and such overtime as has been worked has been undertaken voluntarily at the rates of pay then current, no such depletion of staff having taken place as to render overtime practically compulsory.
§ Mr. BYRNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the overtime worked in these cases is compulsory?
§ Mr. WARDLEI am not aware of that.