GRAVE DISSATISFACTION

Chronicle (Levin), 7 October 1948, Page 10

GRAVE DISSATISFACTION

press Association).

Pay Delays Annoy Civil Servants

(Per

WELLINGTON, Oct. ti. Grave dissatisfaction witli the economic plight of public servants and severe criticism of the inordinate delay of the special committee set up to aajust current salary scales, and the iack of progress in establishing a permanent salaries tribunal was ex pressed at a meeting of • the nationa. executive committee of the Public Ser vice Association last night, says a state ment on behalf of the association bj/ the secretary (Mr. J. Turnbull). Such had been the demand for tickets for the special general .meeting of the Wellington section of the association to discnss these matters, and others on October 12, that the venue had been changed from the Concert Chamber to the main Town Hall. Phe objects of the meeting, as set out in a special ' ' Stop Press ' ' . circular to members, is to " consider the salary question; the delay in adjusting salary scales to give adequate margins for skill and r esponsibility ; the unsatis^ factory attitude of the Government and the Public Service Commission to the overtinie elaims of the association, and the restriction in the application of the penal rate provisions of the Factories Act; and the delay in setting up a salaries tribunal to deal with all salary and economic elaims.' ' The president of the association (Mr. ".J. P. Lewin) is to attend and hear the views of Wellington members and will Jatqr address the meeting. it is expected that this will be the biggest meeting of public servants ever held m Wellington. Admission will be by tieket only. Mr. Turnbull 's statenient said that the national executive committee of the association uiscussed last night the possibility of petitioning . Parliament with a request for a commission of iuquiry to examine Public Service salaries. "The margins and anomalies committee "had been requested over a year ago to bring salaries into line with those ruling in industry and to adjust margins for skill and responsibility," said Mr. Turnbull. "Although its establishment had been authorised in November, 1947, no section of the service, apart from the Government •Printing Oilice, has yet received any oenelits. " lt is considered tliat this delay provides additional proof that the present' methods of salary lixatioii are entirely madequate and underiined the need for the lndependent arbitration of a i ribunal." • ' A letter from the Prime Minister discussing the association 's request for a tribunal and tentatively suggesting that tlie railvvays, teachers and all other State servants should be brought under a single State Services Tribunal tvas considered by the meeting. ' ' After various courses of action, iiu'Ruling the petihi'oliing' oh'Parliamont,« had been discussed, it was decided in tlie meantime to continue negottations with the Government. The e-xecutiv-e ofticers were directed to cooperate with other State service uiiions in requesting the Government to speed tlie work ot" the margins committee and the following resolution 011 a salaries tribunal was u n a n i 1 1 1 0 us I v ap p r 0 v e d : — - ' ' That the Prime Minister he advised that the wage position of public servants being so unsatisfactory and the ctiincuities of equitaoie settiement Dy negotiation only, having been so cleariy demonstrated in past experience, particularly in the margins committee, the Public Service Association considers that the setting up of a salaries tribunal for the Puhlie Service under Gommission control is one of immediate urgency. ' ' * 'That the question- of the tribunal having wider jurisdiction is not one whicli should be permitted to delay the setting up of the tribunal nor is it oue necessarily for this association , to uiidertake. Nevertheless, the executive Mgrees to the executive otiicers approaeliiug the other State service1 organisations 011 behalf of the Government to aseertain their views on the matter. ' "