Mr. MACLEANasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a 217W number of telephonists employed in the local exchange at Dundee are listed for 8½ hours daily from Monday to Friday; that, owing to the restricted air-space, and consequent overcrowding of the switch-room, and the apparent inability of the Post Office to remedy these condition in the near future, the prolonged attendances are detrimental to the health of the staff; and whether, seeing that the change in the working hours of local factories would permit of the normal Post Office system of duties, he will issue instruction that duties based upon an eight-hour day shall be introduced immediately?
Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe attendances of the telephonists at the local exchange at Dundee are arranged on a weekly basis, with a gross attendance of 48 hours. Certain improvements in the equipment are being carried out which will necessitate a revision of the staffing arrangements in the near future, and the opportunity will then be taken to reconsider the arrangement of the duties. The exchange is of an obsolete type, and will be replaced by a new exchange, which will be completed as rapidly as circumstances permit. I regret that delay has occurred in the progress of the new build ing, due largely to the labour troubles, but every endeavour is being made to hasten its completion.