CO129-309 - Public Offices & Others - 1901 — Page 394

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

391

a good knowledge of Geography, while innumerable orders and requests have to be remembered to avoid mistakes.

As an instance of enforced overtime, we beg to point out that the clerks of the Branch Offices, who are generally the juniors in the office, are required by the regulations to give four and a half hours daily, viz: morning duty 7:30 to noon, and afternoon duty from noon to 4:30 p.m., whereas now these clerks, when not on duty at the branch offices, are required to attend at the General Office for extra duty for another 5 or 6 hours.

As the result of this policy, probationers of any worth leave the service as soon as they find out the hardships they have to endure on a salary of $20 a month. Our work is gone through hurriedly, we are on our legs nearly all the time, real hours are uncertain, we have no fair holidays on Saturdays, and in fact scarcely any holidays at all, owing to contract packets arriving so frequently on Sundays and holidays. Further, it frequently happens that, after leaving the office, when our day's work is over, we are recalled to handle an incoming mail.

In the large Post Offices in Europe, in order to effectually and expeditiously deal with heavy masses of correspondence received or sent, there are relays told off of the staff to relieve each section after a certain number of hours of work, whereas here, the whole staff has to deal with the whole of the mail, no matter how late into the night, and the morning officers have to attend at 7 a.m. next morning as if nothing of importance had occurred a few hours before.

We must particularly beg to point out that this strain on the constitution of the Post Office clerks of continuous incessant work renders many unfit for duty through sickness, and thus increases the hardship for the others. Meals have to be bolted as opportunity affords, a fruitful cause of sickness, especially in the summer, in this crowded and cramped Post Office, where forty or fifty people jostle each other in a stifling atmosphere. Leave cannot

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391 a good knowledge of Geography, while innumerable orders and requests have to be remembered to avoid mistakes. As an instance of enforced overtime, we beg to point out that the clerks of the Branch Offices, who are generally the juniors in the office, are required by the regulations to give four and a half hours daily, viz: morning duty 7:30 to noon, and afternoon duty from noon to 4:30 p.m., whereas now these clerks, when not on duty at the branch offices, are required to attend at the General Office for extra duty for another 5 or 6 hours. As the result of this policy, probationers of any worth leave the service as soon as they find out the hardships they have to endure on a salary of $20 a month. Our work is gone through hurriedly, we are on our legs nearly all the time, real hours are uncertain, we have no fair holidays on Saturdays, and in fact scarcely any holidays at all, owing to contract packets arriving so frequently on Sundays and holidays. Further, it frequently happens that, after leaving the office, when our day's work is over, we are recalled to handle an incoming mail. In the large Post Offices in Europe, in order to effectually and expeditiously deal with heavy masses of correspondence received or sent, there are relays told off of the staff to relieve each section after a certain number of hours of work, whereas here, the whole staff has to deal with the whole of the mail, no matter how late into the night, and the morning officers have to attend at 7 a.m. next morning as if nothing of importance had occurred a few hours before. We must particularly beg to point out that this strain on the constitution of the Post Office clerks of continuous incessant work renders many unfit for duty through sickness, and thus increases the hardship for the others. Meals have to be bolted as opportunity affords, a fruitful cause of sickness, especially in the summer, in this crowded and cramped Post Office, where forty or fifty people jostle each other in a stifling atmosphere. Leave cannot
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391 a good knowledge of Geography, while innumerable orders and requests ...nave to be remembered. to avoid mistakes. As an instance of enforced overtime, .we.beg to point out that the clerks of the Branen Urfices, who are generally the juniors 10. the office are required .by. the regulations to give four and.8 half hours daily, V12:- morning auty 7.80 to noon, and afternoon auty from noon to 4.80 p.m. .whereas now these clerks, when not.on duty at the branch offices are required to attend at the General Office for extra duty for.another 5 or 6 hours. -As the result of Laas policy probationers.of.any, worth . Leave the service. as soon as they tand out. the hardships. they nave .to endure.on a salary of $20. a month.. Our nork is gone burriedly, we are on.our legs nearly all the time, real hours are uncertain,. we have no bair..bolidays on Saturdays, and in fact scarcely any holidays. at all, owing to contract packets arriving so. frequently ...on Sundays and holidays. Further.at frequently happens.that, after Leaving the office, when our day's. work. 1s over, we are .recalled to. handle, an incoming mali. in the large Post. Orices in Europe, in .order. to effect- nally and..expeditiously.ocal with heavy-masses.of.correspondence re- ceived..or sent, there are relays told off of the statt. Lo relieve .cach section after a certaan number of cours of nork, whereas pere, the whole sterf nes to deal with the whole. of the mall, no matter how Late into the night, and the morning officers have to attend at. 7 A.k. next morning as if nothing.or importance nad. occurred a few hours before. We must particularly beg to point out that this strain . on the .constitution of the Eost UIIiice. clerks or continuaiano.inces- sant work, renders many. unfit. for duty through sickness, and thus increases the baroship for the others. Meals have to be bolted as opportunity.attoros,WALOR 18.& fruitful cause. of sickness, especially in the summer, in this crowded...and...cramped. Post. Office, where. torty or fifty people jostle each other in a stifling atmosphere. Leave cannot
2026-06-01 06:34:09 · Baseline
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391

a good knowledge of Geography, while innumerable orders and requests ...nave to be remembered. to avoid mistakes.

As an instance of enforced overtime, .we.beg to point out that the clerks of the Branen Urfices, who are generally the juniors 10. the office are required .by. the regulations to give four and.8 half hours daily, V12:- morning auty 7.80 to noon, and afternoon auty from noon to 4.80 p.m. .whereas now these clerks, when not.on duty at the branch offices are required to attend at the General Office for extra duty for.another 5 or 6 hours.

-As the result of Laas policy probationers.of.any, worth

. Leave the service. as soon as they tand out. the hardships. they nave .to endure.on a salary of $20. a month.. Our nork is gone burriedly,

we are on.our legs nearly all the time, real hours are uncertain,. we have no bair..bolidays on Saturdays, and in fact scarcely any holidays. at all, owing to contract packets arriving so. frequently ...on Sundays and holidays. Further.at frequently happens.that, after Leaving the office, when our day's. work. 1s over, we are .recalled

to. handle, an incoming mali.

in the large Post. Orices in Europe, in .order. to effect- nally and..expeditiously.ocal with heavy-masses.of.correspondence re-

ceived..or sent, there are relays told off of the statt. Lo relieve .cach

section after a certaan number of cours of nork, whereas pere, the

whole sterf nes to deal with the whole. of the mall, no matter how Late

into the night, and the morning officers have to attend at. 7 A.k. next morning as if nothing.or importance nad. occurred a few hours before.

We must particularly beg to point out that this strain

. on the .constitution of the Eost UIIiice. clerks or continuaiano.inces-

sant work, renders many. unfit. for duty through sickness, and thus

increases the baroship for the others. Meals have to be bolted as

opportunity.attoros,WALOR 18.& fruitful cause. of sickness, especially

in the summer, in this crowded...and...cramped. Post. Office, where. torty

or fifty people jostle each other in a stifling atmosphere. Leave

cannot

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