PUBLIC SERVANTS AS THE CINDERELLA WORKERS

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1947, Page 5

PUBLIC SERVANTS AS THE CINDERELLA WORKERS

WELLIXGTOX, Dec. 1. Xews of the proeeedings now being taken by raiiway employee organisations to obtain from the Railways Tribunal certain benefits of the Factories Act, underJines the most unsatisfactory positiou that exists as to the applieation of tlie benefits of tiiis Act to the pubhc service, said Mr. J. P. Lewin, president of the Publie .Service Association, today. The association in 1946 succeeded in inducing the Government to ameud the Act to biiul the Crown, said Mr. Lewin, but the Public Service Foinniission has not yet seen iit to put the Legislature \s decision into etl'ect and as faf as can be ascertained, these parts of the service afl'ected have not been registered as required by the Act "Xor have overtinie aud penal rates yet been paid the employees ail'ected, he added. "My association is at pre sent considering action to be talcen to obtain a full retrospective settlement of the legal claims. iMr. Lewin said the provisions of the Factories Act, though well ahead of public service praetiee, Were far behind the present industrial practice laid down by awards and agreements and that the association had presented claims based 011 the iatter. Absolutely 110 progress had been made with tlie commission which excused itself on tlie grounds that the matter involved majoi policy consklerations and was oue foi tlie Government. -Mr. Lewin said theprinciple oi' prior conciliation adopted in the railways discussions was not available to public servants under the coiuniission which declined to negotiate on'terms of equalitv with the association. "The only hopes of a settlement is by airapproaeh to the Gov-efnment or, as in the Factories Act, as an issue to the courts, " he added.