§ 45. Colonel ASHLEYasked the Prime Minister whether the Post Office and other Government officials of all grades who refused to discharge their duties on the two days of the recent Sinn Fein labour strike in Ireland have received or will receive pay for those two days?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Illingworth)The answer is in the negative.
§ Colonel ASHLEYMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman's Department got round the difficulty by giving the men two days' leave when they refused to work, and entering it on the pay sheet that they were on leave by kind permission of the Postmaster-General?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI must ask for notice of that question.
§ Mr. MOLESMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman proposes to take any notice of the conduct of certain postal officials who absented themselves from duty for two days, and if so, what notice?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI should like notice of that question.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHCan the Postmaster-General say whether the same thing 1885 happened in Belfast during the local strike there?
§ Mr. MacVEAGHYes, it did.
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI must have notice of those supplementary questions.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether these men refused to discharge their duties, and if so, why should they not be dismissed?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHWe cannot dismiss the whole service at a time.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEAre we to understand that the whole service refused to work?