§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the unestablished telephone employés at the Taunton Telephone Exchange who perform Sunday duty of nine hours are paid 5s. or at the rate of 6½d. an hour; and, seeing that this remuneration is far below the present rate of wages of unskilled labour, will he see that steps are taken at once to put a stop to these conditions?
§ Mr. PEASEThe regular night and Sunday telephone attendant at Taunton is in receipt of total remuneration of 37s. 7d. weekly. In order to give fortnightly relief to this officer an allowance of 5s. is authorised on alternate Sundays, and it is the case that an attendance of nine hours is required in return for this allowance. The work, which is not paid for at an hourly rate in view of its intermittent character, is at present being voluntarily performed by a pensioned officer of this Department, who is temporarily employed in the Taunton Post Office throughout the week, and who is at liberty to give up the Sunday duty in question at any time. My right hon. Friend sees no reason for thinking that the amount of the allowance is inadequate, but, in order to satisfy him 1475W on the point, he is calling for a return of the average amount of work actually done.