§ Mr. HAYDAYasked the Postmaster-General whether the Post Office trade union has raised no objection to the employment of discharged and disabled soldiers in the Post Office, but has, on the contrary, fought for every discharged man to receive the full wages proper to the class of work on which he is employed; whether 15,615 disabled men were so employed on 1st February, 1920; whether the Government proposal to assess the disability of each ex-soldier employed with a view to reducing his wages has been the subject of determined opposition on the part of the union; whether the staff representatives on the Post Office Whitley Council have been denied the right to discuss the principle underlying these assessments because the authorities were unable to make any concession; whether, whilst the number of cases where reduced wages are paid is at present small it is the policy of the Government to continue this economy; and whether, having regard to the professions of sympathy with disabled men, he will consider the possibility of paying all disabled soldiers in the employ of the Government the full wages of the job on which they are employed?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe principle of assessing the wages of those disabled men, who cannot perform the full duties of their posts, in accordance with the value of their work was adopted on the recommendation of a Committee which included representatives of the Staff Unions. I am aware that although those representatives signed the Report, the recommendations have been opposed by some of the Unions concerned. Every effort is made to assign disabled men to posts the full duties of which they are able to perform, but if this is impracticable, it appears to me reasonable that the man's wages should be graduated in accordance with the work which he is actually capable of undertaking. The matter has already been discussed 935W on the Post Office Whitley Council, but I am unable to agree to refer it to a Sub-Committee.