A320 CAPTAIN REPORTS THAT MAINTENANCE IS DEFERRING LOG BOOK WRITE-UPS PRIOR TO ACTUALLY COMPLYING WITH THE MEL PROCEDURE.

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AFTER 25 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; THE CREW WROTE UP A CABIN ITEM -- REAR GALLEY OVERHEAD LIGHT INOP -- AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A CALL TO LOCAL MAINT. APPROX 5 MINS LATER; A NEW MAINT RELEASE CAME ACROSS THE COCKPIT PRINTER WITH THE LIGHT DEFERRED AND AN MEL NUMBER. THE CAPT PULLED THE MEL AND SAW THAT A DEFERRED STICKER WAS REQUIRED; SO I THEN CALLED THE AFT CABIN TO SEE IF MAINT HAD IN FACT COME ABOARD THE ACFT. TO MY SURPRISE NO MAINT PERSONNEL HAD COME ON BOARD TO DO THE REQUIRED WORK. AFTER CALLING LOCAL ZONE OPS AND THEN MAINT INFORMING THEM THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO A MAINT SUPVR; ABOUT 5 MINS LATER A SUPVR CAME UP TO SEE WHAT THE PROB WAS. AFTER INFORMING HIM OF THE MAINT RELEASE WITHOUT WORK BEING COMPLETED; HE INFORMED ME THAT WAS HOW ZZZ DID THEIR OP FOR EFFICIENCY AND LACK OF MANPOWER AND THAT THE MECH WOULD EVENTUALLY COME AND FOLLOW UP PRIOR TO DEP -- LOCAL SOP. I INFORMED THE SUPVR THAT THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF FARS AND COMPANY SOP AND THAT AS CREWS WE ARE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS. THE SUPVR WAS RECEPTIVE AND SAID THE NEXT MORNING BRIEFINGS WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS INFO AND CHANGE HOW THEY DID THINGS. THE SUPVR THEN LEFT WITH 5 MINS TO GO TILL ON-TIME DEP. WITH THE AGENT TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR THE STICKER FOR DEFERRAL STILL HAD NOT BEEN ADDRESSED; SO WE WAITED TILL THE LOCAL MECH FINISHED THE WORK HE ORIGINALLY SIGNED OFF AS COMPLETE WAS DONE. THIS TOOK 2 MORE CALLS TO GET THE MECH OUT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WITH THE ORIGINAL MAINT RELEASE FROM 20 MINS PRIOR AND LEFT THE GATE 10 MINS LATE.