XN000022-1990-09-18 — Page 18

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1990

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POSTMASTER GENERAL'S COMMENTS ON UNIONS' ACTION

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COMMENTING ON THE DECISION OF THE POSTAL WORKERS' UNIONS TO PUT UP POSTERS AT BRANCH POST OFFICES AS FROM TODAY (TUESDAY} IN PROTEST AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION FOR NOT RESPONDING POSITIVELY то THEIR CLAIMS FOR IMPROVED PAY, CONDITIONED HOURS OF WORK AND PROMOTION PROSPECTS, THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, MR DOMINIC S.W. WONG,

SAID: "I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED ΤΟ THE UNIONS THAT THE STANDING COMMISSION'S OVERALL REVIEW OF CIVIL SERVICE GRADES, INCLUDING THE POSTAL GRADES, TAKES TIME AND THAT THE REVIEW IS EXPECTED то BR COMPLETED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

"THE UNIONS CAN REST ASSURED THAT THEIR VIEWS WILL BE FULLY TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THERE IS NO NEED ΤΟ SPECULATE

WHAT MAY HAPPEN BUT TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE RESULTS.

"PERSONALLY, I CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT TO SEEK ΤΟ MAINTAIN AT LEAST THE HISTORICALLY MORE FAVOURABLE RELATIVITY OF THE POSTAL GRADES VIS-A-VIS OTHER COMPARABLE GRADES, FOR EXAMPLE CLERICAL GRADES. I HAVE ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE POSTMAN GRADE'S REQUEST FOR REDUCED HOURS OF WORK.

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"BOTH THE STANDING COMMISSION AND THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH ARE. FULLY AWARE OF MY VIEWS AND MY SUPPORT OF THE STAFF UNIONS' REQUESTS, HE SAID.

THE UNIONS ALSO CLAIMED THAT THEIR PROMOTION PROSPECTS COMPARED UNFAVOURABLY WITH OTHER GRADES. MR WONG SAID PAY SCALES AND PROMOTION PROSPECTS WERE SEPARATE MATTERS, AND THAT PROMOTION POSTS HAD TO BE JUSTIFIED ON FUNCTIONAL GROUNDS.

PROSPECTS OF POSTAL

GRADES IMPROVED

IN

HE SAID THE PROMOTION IN THE LAST DECADE, AND IMPROVEMENTS WERE PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT RECENT YEARS.

"I WILL CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY POSTS CAN BE JUSTIFIED FUNCTIONALLY. INFORMED, MR WONG SAID.

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AREAS OF WORK WHERE PROMOTION THE STAFF UNIONS HAVE BEEN SO

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