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Officers With Armed Services, or on Special Leave , at ' t Jj e 31st March there were only four Post Office employees still with the Armed Services. Five others have not yet resumed duty owing to injury or protracted illness contracted while serving with the Forces. There are also 18 returned servicemen absent on special leave without pay who are trying other forms of employment. POST AND TELEGRAPH STAFF TRIBUNAL General Increase in Salaries The Post and Telegraph Staff Tribunal sat in December, 1948, and again m February, 1949, under the chairmanship of Judge W. F. Stilwell, to consider wage and salary claims of Post Office employees. The Tribunal announced its decisions on the 9th March, 1949, and these provided, with some exceptions, for the following general wage increases for all departmental employees, permanent and temporary:— (1) £22 if paid on an annual basis, (2) 2|d. an hour if paid on an hourly basis. (3) Bs. 4d. a week if paid on a weekly basis. The exceptions were those employees to whom lesser increases were granted as follows: (a) Employees whose salaries did not exceed £lB5 per annum: an increase of £lO per annum. (b) Employees whose salaries exceeded £lB5 per annum but did not exceed £275 per annum: an increase of £l5 per annum. (c) Temporary employees receiving hourly or weekly rates of pay, which when computed on an annual basis fell within the salary ranges set out in (a) and (&) : an increase of either Id. or an hour or 3s. 4d. or ss. a week as the case might be. (d) Temporary female office cleaners: a pro rata weekly increase, based on a rate of 2|d. ah hour, in accordance with the number of hours worked of the full working-week of forty hours. The increased rates were approved by Government and operated from the Ist July, 1948. PROMOTIONS Further steps were taken during the year to implement more fully the Department's improved grading set-up, and arising from the action taken additional promotions were arranged. The Department has followed its traditional practice of obtaining, in the main, its First Division staff by promotion from the Second Division. During the year some 343 such promotions were made. In addition, some cadets were .recruited direct from secondary schools. APPEAL BOARD Two sittings of the Appeal Board were held during the year, one in AprilMay and the other in October-December. At the two sittings 802 appeals lodged by 226 appellants were adjudicated upon, and the following decisions made: allowed, 21; allowed by consent, 19; withdrawn, 220; did not lie 12 • disallowed, 530. In fourteen of the disallowed appeals the Board recommended that increased grading should be granted by the DeDartment.

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