Civil Servants And Their Salaries

Chronicle (Levin), 29 November 1949, Page 6

Civil Servants And Their Salaries

WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. In i'ts attempt to secure salary increases for civil servants, the New Zealand Public Service Association has i'aiied to make headway in conciliation with the Public Service Commission. Oliicers of the association, in a,cireular issued today to members, declared that in their opmion the commission had made no genuine elfort at conciliation. it had imposed 'an impossible conditionas to the type of evidenctf required. The circular announced that the next recourse was to the Government Service rribunal. It would have been possible to secufe a brief hearing as from Thursdaynext but the association had deeided against this, the chief reasoh being that to establish its case it, would be neeessary to show that the stabilisation of wages had been absoluteiy ineffectual as regards workers generally and had been used merely to hold down the government 's own employees. "The executive is in no way averse to criticising the Government and its stabilisation policy to whatever extem the proper interests of our members may require, said the circular. " To do so a few days before the General Eloction, however, would be to project tht association into party politics against the association 's declared policy and long range interests of the service. Noi could any advantage be gained by so doing othef than that of time and this is ofi'set by.the expectation that addtional statistics will' become availabie through a short deiay. The tribunai would not, in any circumstances, give any important decision on election eve. The association has aecordingly asked

t'or a hearing from December 6. It is not • sertain this time will be availabie but Lt is hoped that any delay will be very brief. We had hoped that the commission and association could have gone to the tribunai with an agreed applieation but it is clear that, as in the past, we will have to fight every inch of the way. There is now only oue answer. The public servants have a good case — we think an undeniable case. It must be prosecuted before the tribunai with all the skill and vigour which the association can eommand. " In a review of Conciliation Council proceedings, the circular contained the suggestion that representatives of the Public Service Commission had their iiands tied. Mr G. T. Bolt, for the com mission, was stated to have said that he could be satisfied only with "black and wliite" evidence on all oecupatioa al classes involved (perhaps 900) ti support the association 's claim that ruling rates outside the service weiv in those instances higher than those inside. It was elaimed that this type ut evidence did not at present exist and could be obtained only after a very long iuvestigation by the Labour Department which would lirst have to obtaiu authority from the Government to give employers wholesale immunity from prosecution. The assdciation had preseuted evidence from .three 'tTade-unH ion secretaries, one Labour Department | inspector, one employer of labour and one employee of the association who had made a special study of the matter This evidence, however, failed to bring about any agreement with the commission representatives.