TRIBUNAL BILL AMENDED

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1948, Page 7

TRIBUNAL BILL AMENDED

Public Service Wages And Conditions Mected WELLINGTON, Dec. 2. Rates oi' remuneration direct and indirect and workiiig conditions generally prevailing in industry, are to be taken into account by tlie Government Servict Tribunal in exercisiug its powers and funetions under tlie Government Service Tribunal Bill. This is proyided for in an amendnient brought down, today for inclusion in the Bill. Changes in. the cost of living are also to be talcen into account by the Tribunal. A sub-clause in the original Bill eni powering the Tribunal to make orders prescribing' scales of salaries or ,'wages for grades' ih public service aud toi any sub-divisions of grades, has been replaced by a sub-clause of wider scope. The amending sub-clause states that the Tril.nnal inay make orders prescribing salaries or wages or scales of salaries or wages for grades, divisions and occn • pational elasses of emplovees of the Public Service and for subdivisions oi any such grades, divisions or occupa tional elasses. It is stipulated tha> everv occupatiOnal class so prescribed shall cousist of a substantial number of emplovees declared by the Tribunai to belong to the same class by reason of the uniform nature of their duties. Where any such oeeupationa! class iu cludes emplovees so .deihied and also includes persons holding positions to wluch are» attached annual salaries in excess of the maximum salary tor au employee- but not exceediag £102,"), or such otlier amount as may be pre scribed, those persons shall , be deeme 1 to be emplovees •within the meaning oi the Bill. Another amendinent safpguards the superanhuation rights of members or the Tribunal wlio may be at the timo of their appointment, a menxber o f the Government Setvice. •„ The original Bill restficted the retio fipective application of orders to no'. cxvflier tlian the date of application for the order but this restriction has been oliminated by an amendnient and tlu- . Tribunal can now fix an order to oper ^ ate from any time.it determines. To,. a question by Atr. Holland wlio ::a.sked"what matters ivere still in disputi with the Public Service o'rganisatious. Mr.'Nasli replied: "I don't thinlt theic is anything in dispute as 3.11011." ]\tr. Holland: What is in dispute witli out being as such? Mr. Nush: Notliing at the moment. Hr. Holland: There is notliing aboui the margins eommitteef yir. Nash: No. That is notliing to lu with the Bill. : ilr MaclcJev: Can the Minister say 1 1 tliey have decided to obstracise the Tri bunal Mr. Nash: I cannot say. That is fnj thera to say. .Mr. Nasli said the Public Service Association had asked that the Tribunal 's jurisdicti-on. should extenil to persons on higher salaries than . £825 proposed in the original Bill. Fearing that the Tribunal 's . decisions inigiii otherwise impirige on the powers of tlu; Public Service Coinmission, the higher limit of £1025 had tlierefore been agreed to. . . The Opposition liad previously moved that the IIou.se decline to ]>ass the 13ils until agreethent was reaelied betweeu the. Government and Public Service Association, said Mr. Holland, bpening the discussion on the measure when ix was iii'the committee st^age. The dis pute was still going on a'nd he thoughi that the proposed Tribunal would be bound to fail tmless the Bill had the approval of all those coucerned. At present the Opposition could iiot acquiesce in passing the Bill. Mr. Nash said the amendments to the Bill introduced today represented points on wliich thc Government had agreed to representations by the Public Service Association. What had taken place was elearly negotiation yet there had been a letter today "to soine of us " stating that the association was not in negotia tion with the Government. Mr. Holland: Hold the Bill over. Mr. Nash asked if the Leader of the ' ipposition favoured paying ovei '31, 250, 000 without roferring tlie matter to an independent tribunal. After further discussion a division was taken on the short title and tii" Bill was put th rough the committee stugcs, read a third time and passed.