HC Deb 26 March 1919 vol 114 cc409-10
77. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir J. NORTON GRIFFITHS

asked the Postmaster-General whether scale payment sub-postmasters are compelled to work twelve hours a day; whether they have received the same war bonus as the permanent postal staff; whether they are empowered to pay postal drafts, civil liabilities, pensions, and other such payments, necessitating the passing of large sums of money through their hands; and whether, in view of the responsible nature of their work and the length of their hours of duty, he will consider an increase in the scale of payment made to them?

80 and 81. Mr. GWYNNE

asked the Postmaster-Gentral (1) whether his attention has been called to the hardship which will arise owing to the recent order by which sub-post offices are to open earlier and close later, thus entailing longer hours of labour for the staff without any increase of pay; (2) whether, seeing that the clerks working in sub-post offices do not receive the war bonus which is being granted to the departmental clerks or any overtime he will take steps not to impose further work on them by extending their hours?

The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Illingworth)

The hours of public business at scale payment sub-post offices are at present 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but sub-postmasters are not required to attend per- sonally during these hours. The hours of business were curtailed during the War, and I have received numerous requests to restore the pre-war attendance. With a view to meeting the public demand, which is not unreasonable, I have given instructions for the offices to be opened an hour earlier, and for the midday interval to be discontinued. The closing hour has not been changed. Sub-postmasters receive approximately the same war bonus as the established Post Office staff. It is the case that large sums of money pass through many sub-post offices, but much of this is in connection with new classes-of business arising out of the War, for which special rates of payment have been granted to sub-postmasters. The present system of remunerating sub-postmasters is based on the recommendations of two Select Parliamentary Committees, and I am not at present prepared to consider the question of a general revision.