Govt warned to expect resistance

Press, 8 February 1986, Page 6

Govt warned to expect resistance

PA Wellington The next general secretary of the Public Service Association has said that the Government can expect resistance to its plans to take workers outside the State union structure. Mr Colin Clark was referring to proposals for reorganisation of the Public Service to take Stateowned enterprises outside the State and public services.

Under the plans, he said, people who are now public servants and P.S.A. members would become private-sector workers. This would occur when they fell outside the ambit of the State Services Conditions of Employment Act.

Mr Clark said all the policy decisions had already been, made as far as the Government Life

Insurance Corporation was concerned. All that remained as far as the Government was concerned was to talk about detail.

“We feel let down by the Government in this area. There was no indication to us in its policy statement they intended to adopt such a severe approach to the organisation of the Public Service,” he said.

Mr Clark noted the Government had appointed four private-sec-tor members to an advisory board set up to lead the Electricity Division of the Ministry of Energy to “a more commercial profile.” However, the Government had refused representations from the P.S.A. for involvement in that exercise. .