§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Postmaster-General whether the wages of the Post Office officials at the Newcastle-under-Lyme post office have been reduced as a result of Departmental alterations based on the Hobhouse Report; and, if so, by how much they have been reduced, and on what grounds?
2150W
§ Mr. BUXTONThe Select Committee recommended that the classification of offices for scales of pay should be based on the volume of work, and be modified where the cost of living was shown to be specially high or low. In the case of Newcastle the volume of work is represented by 91 units, and, according to the Board of Trade Report, its cost of living is considerably below the normal. The office should, therefore, have been included in Class V., which would have meant a reduction of 5s. in the maximum pay of future postmen, but, as the hon. Member will see on reference to page 56 of the Return, "Post Office (Changes in Wages)", issued in July, 1908, I considerably modified for the benefit of the postmen the scheme recommended by the Select Committee. Under this modified scheme, Newcastle-under-Lyme has been included in Class IV. for the outdoor force. Existing postmen are not affected by the reduction. They all go to their old maximum. The maximum pay of the indoor force remains unchanged.