§ 26. Mr. BROADasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the pressure of work and the amount of overtime being worked by the clerical and supervising staffs of the Employment Exchanges due to the application of the Act of 1927; whether these staffs receive any extra payment for the hours worked beyond the normal working day; whether he is prepared to engage additional employés from the unemployed clerks registering at the Exchanges; and whether he will bear in mind that the representative of his Department stated before a Civil Service court of arbitration that the clerical work at the Exchanges was of a routine and repetitive nature?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI am aware that the work of the Employment Exchanges necessitates a certain amount of overtime. All time worked (a) by established clerical grades in excess of 44 hours a week, and (b) by unestablished clerical grades in excess of 46 hours a week is paid for at special rates. Where there is prolonged overtime of certain supervisory grades this is also paid for. Every effort is made to avoid the working of overtime by engaging additional staff wherever necessary, but it is not practicable to avoid all overtime by this means.
§ Mr. BROADIs the Minister aware that owing to the pressure on these staffs, they cannot give adequate time to the cases, and that a great deal of friction arises out of the system?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI am not aware of that fact. Wherever possible or necessary, I get in additional help, but the distribution of work over different 1109 days of the week and as between different classes of officials makes it impossible to deal with the whole of it in that way.
§ Mr. R. YOUNGWill the right hon. Gentleman explain why it is 44 hours in one case and 46 hours in the other?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI cannot do so without notice.