§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Postmaster-General if some women operators in the London Trunk Telephone Exchange work till 10.0 p.m., and are not paid extra remuneration; whether instead a special duty has been instituted, whereby such operators receive ordinary pay for the late work, but are allowed, in lieu of such extra pay, to attend the offices seventeen minutes later than usual; whether he is aware that no proper provision has been made to enable the persons working overtime to obtain refreshments; and whether the agreements under which these operators work stipulates a working day between the hours of 8.0 a.m. and 8.0 p.m., except under special circumstances; and, if so, what are the special conditions prevailing which compel the Central Trunk Telephone Exchange to be worked under the conditions mentioned above?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe circumstances in which it has been necessary recently for some few operators on the Trunk Exchange to remain on duty till 10 p.m. were explained by me in reply to the question put by the hon. Member for South-West Ham on the 24th instant. I endeavoured to make it clear on that occasion that in such of the cases in question in which the time between 8 and 10 p.m. was worked as ordinary duty and not as extra duty that course was followed because the officers concerned preferred it. An additional time allowance of seventeen minutes was made because, time after 8 p.m. being counted as time and a seventh, seventeen minutes is the correct allowance on this basis in respect of two hours of night duty. Suitable provision was made for the officers retained after 8 p.m. to obtain refreshment at 6 p.m. or352W after, the arrangements being made by the committee of the dining club maintained and managed by the staff. The hon. Member is right in believing that except in special circumstances, telephonists in London usually perform their work between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.