SALARY ANOMALIES

Chronicle (Levin), 28 April 1949, Page 5

SALARY ANOMALIES

Pubiic Service Executive Meets the Minister WELLINGTON, April 27. Executive oiiicers of the Pubiie Service Association met the Acting Prime Minister on Tuesday evening in an ,andeavour to obtain assuranees whi.au might erxabie the association to make t* uomination to the Government Service Tribunal, stated the general seeretai't of the Pubiic. Service Association, Mr J. Turnbull, tonight. They were uuable 1 obtain any assut'ance that the Govern ment. regarded the £22 awarded by th^ Railways and Post and Telegrapii Tri- . bunals a,s relating only to claims dealt ' with by the margins and anomalies eoni.nittee in October last year, and thereiOre separate and distinct from any / laims connected with the -recent Arbi.ration Court pronouncement, said M furnbull. Mr Nash's view was that this was olely a matter for the tribunals conerned and they would decide whethei .(ate servants would receive the £35 ,u additioh to the £22 or a total of-£3o jr any other amount. Mr Turnbull added that Mr Nash waalso asked for an assurance that th.issociation would be able to enter into negotiatious before the end of the eoinng session of Parliament, on certain Linprovements to the tribunal set up, which are" regarded as being of tne greatest importanee. The Minister, .vhile indicating readiness to discus> uost of these matters, did not.give any (irm assurance as to the time. Mr Turnbull stated tonight that the nationai executive comniittee received a report to this eifect today and also too-K into account the following faets. Tlie , Iovernment Service Tribunal is now established by law. Members have been appointed. The association has been brougiit by regulation within the tribunal 's jurisdiction, notwithstanding that it has not nominated a rep.resentative. The Government has statecl that no increases can be granted to the pubiic service except through the tribunal. Having regard to these facts and to the fact that it is not legally necessary for a Pubiic Service Association representative to be nominated, the exe cutive decided that application shou!.; be made to the tribunal for a similar increase to those guanted to the Railways and Post and Telegraph Deparcments. This application has accordingly oeeu lodged, Mr Turnbull said. The executive made it clear that this aeti m was being -taken because it was the only means of obtaining for its mem bers salary increases to which they obviously were entitled and which they needed so badly. Tlie association -stiil maintained that the amount of £22 wa> not adequate to bring publi.c servants into liue with other vvorkers and tha: the Government Service Tribunal senp was unsatisfactory. It would continue its efforts to retnedy both these matters. Various measures for future action along these lines were discussed.