Mr. DUNCANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether, in view of the industrial unrest, his attention has been called to the action of the Government, which in 1914 promised postal servants certain inducements to enter the Army, and in 1917 published a document repudiating the promise; whether he is aware that such breach of contract has had a bad effect upon the members of the whole Civil Service, causing Government servants to feel that they cannot rely upon the pledges given by Departmental heads; and whether the Treasury will reconsider the decision;
(2) The Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the Post Office circular, 29th September, 1914, appealing for recruits to join the Army stated that Post Office servants enlisting as office telegraphists in the Royal Engineers, Regular Army, or in the Royal Engineers, Special Reserve, Signal Section, would be allowed full civil pay in addition to military pay when called up for service; whether such a promise was in conformity with the past practice of the Government when seeking trained men at quick notice from the Post Office; whether thousands of men joined the Colours in response to the appeal; whether in 1917 the Treasury and the Army authorities, without consultation with the Post Office officers concerned, issued an Army Council Instruction nullifying this promise and reducing very considerably 1128W the military emoluments promised in 1914; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; and
(3) The Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the ill-feeling and unrest caused by the repudiation by the Treasury of the promises contained in Post Office Circular, 29th September, 1914, relating to the terms of enlistment of Post Office officials in the Royal Engineers; whether he recognises that such action tends to destroy confidence in the administration; and whether he will place no impediments in the way of legal action being taken in the Law Courts for breach of contract by the trades unions whose members have been adversely affected?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHIn the announcements inviting recruits for the Royal Engineers, Signal Section, it was stated that full civil pay would be allowed in addition to military pay and allowances, thereby placing the men who enlisted in a better position than other Civil servants, who only receive the balance of Civil pay over military pay and allowance. When increases in the rate of separation allowances were sanctioned in 1917, it was not thought right to improve still further the relative position of these men; and it was decided that the increases in the allowances should, as in the case of other Civil servants, be deducted from Civil pay The effect is that the men concerned continue to receive the exceptionally favourable rates of pay granted to them on enlistment, but, in common with other Civil servants, they are excluded from the increases referred to above. As those men are already receiving considerably more than their Civil emoluments I do not consider they have any legitimate grievance; but I propose to consult the Law Officers as to whether there is any-legal ground for their claim that they are entitled to benefit by any subsequent increase in the rate of military pay or allowances.