Public Service And Its Wages Claims

Chronicle (Levin), 21 October 1949, Page 5

Public Service And Its Wages Claims

WELLINGTON, Oct- 20. "We' are getting all that the other sections of the service have got and we have a foot in the door to get more. ' ' In these words, Mr J. F. Lewin, president of the New Zealand Public Ser vice Association, summed up the result of 12 months' negotiation with the Go vernment on the public service salary and tribunal issues, when he address ed 600 public servants in Wellington tonight. . The Lewin said that they would get an immediate increase of £13 yearh within the next fortnight. After that the association would go into conciliation for "more radieal claims involving another £35 per annum. ' ' The public servants' judgment of the new set up, said Mr Lewin, would depend on the results it achieved for the service. In similar manner it expressed satisfaction at the suceessful outcome of the negotiations for the establishment of the new tribuna1 and asked the national executive to proceed immediate1 ly in conciliation with claims to bring the salaries of public servants "bach into proper relationship with the inconie of other sections of the community." "While welcoming the progress made," the resolution 'added: "We shall reserve final judgment until we are able to measure the results in terms of salary rates commensurate with the services being given. " Mr Lewin summarised negotiations with the Government in the fcllowiug ten points: — 1. More than a year had elapsed since the combined state service or ganisations had began to urge the Government to act on the report of th>j Margins and Anomalies Committee which recommended that workers in the service should be paid £35 a year more from October 1, 1947, to bring theni into line with their counterparts ^ in private' enterprise. J 2. In face of public service opposition the Government legalised an unsatisfaetory tribunal and decreed that the £35 issue had to be determined by that tribunal. 3. Early this year the tribunal, following decisions of the Railways and Post and Telegraph Tribunals, award*d public servants covered by the association, an increase of £22 yearly but did not say whether this was in settlement of the £35 claim or in anticipation of a pending Arbitration Court decision which subsequently turned out to be £35. 4. In June the Court awarded 4£d an hour (£35 yearly) for skilled workers. 5. In recent months various tribunals had awarded other State services another £13 on their previous £22. This meant that those services were still £35 behind workers in industry and public servants covered by tha association were still £13 plus £35 behind. 6. The association had, in the last year, striven to obtain the reconstructioh of the Government Salaries Tribunal as a satisfactory wage fixing body and to secure or create conditions for securing all or as much as possible* of the £35 after getting the £13 other sections had received. 7. The association had at last succeeded in getting the reconstruction of .the tribunal in spite of protracted negotiations punctuated by the Holmes letter scare. The agreement with the Government was as satisfactory as the association could expect to get. 8. The tribunal would probably award members covered by the association, a further £13 next week. Next week also conciliation proceedings^ in aecordanee with the new legislation, would begin on the association 's more radieal claims. 9. The success of the tribunal and salaries campaign would not be pieasured by the £22 and £13 or. by the new cellophane-wrapped tribunal, but by the extent to which the tribuna^ met the association 's more radieal elaims. 10. Since Conciliation Couneil proceedings were about to begin and since the Public Service Commission must admit a substantial degree of Government direption, the public service woulq best be able to judge the attitude or the Government to their new deliberations, by the extent of any offer by th'e commission on salary scales from grade six to the special grade. Mr. J. Turnbull, secretary of the ' association, said the association hoped ' the expected £13 rise 'would date from Junp 1) 1949. The commission 's original proposal was that it should date from July 1 but there was no reasoii why it should not - be J une I.