Mass Protest By Public Servants

Chronicle (Levin), 7 December 1948, Page 7

Mass Protest By Public Servants

AUCKLAND, Dec. 6. The grievances of .State employees at the discrepancy between their wages and salaries and those received by other people in comparative jobs. and also at tliq delay in granting increases reeommended,* were reviewed in detail by speakers who addressed the largest nieeting of public servants ever held m Auckland, at Oarlaw Park tonight. The attendanee was estimated to-. approach d000 people, mainly men, whp heard de tails of the uegotiations between tliew re'presentatives and the Governinent and carried' with little dissent resolutions supporting the decisions of the Wages and Anoihalies Committee. Arranged by the Auckland braiich of the Public Service Association,. the nieeting was addressed by the' Dominicin president of the' association, Mr. J. P. Lewin, the general secretary, Mr. J. Turnbull and the general secretary of the Railway Tradesmen's Association, Mr. T. E. (febbie. The resolutions carried were:— (l)'That this mass nieeting of inenibers of State services organisations, brands the refusal of the OovernmeAt to accept the recommendations of the Margins and Anoinalies Coinmittee, as a stab in the back to its' employees and aliirins its deterinination to continue to organise until a favourable decisinn on the margins question is obtained. Further, we consider the device of referiing these claims to our or other tribunals to be mcrely a mcans of delay and evasion.

(2) That this nieeting of Government combined orgij.nisations, demands that its national representatives make furllier immediate represcntations to the (iovernment to liave tlie wages rates ffiianiniously recoiiinieuded • by the Margins and Anoinalies (.'omniittee, adopted, failing which further cOmbined meetings of Government organisations be held throughout the country to de- . cidc further actions. (.">) That this mass nieeting of State employees luis complelu confidence in Ihe centra! coinmittee of the combined State service organisations. Aftqr the final resolution had been carried by acclamation, ilr. Lewin said: •'And we will coiitinue to pross the Lo\ erninenl by whatover meaiis are nccessarv until we bring® lionie the baton." (Sustained applause.)