A PENSION GRIEVANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 199, 11 May 1918, Page 8

A PENSION GRIEVANCE

SUPERANNUATION BENEFITS REDUCED "The public is not generally aware of the fact that when a retired teacher undertakes work in order to relieve the scarcity of teachers caused by he war, he loses, in many cases, the whole o tho pension for which ho has subscribed for many years," writes a- correspondent "Many'think that the war-worker is navin» the time of his life as far as pay goes. That is not so. If a. teacher retired on superannuation when receiving a salary of, say, .1:250, and he now goes back to work, he will not bo allowed to draw a higher salary all told than £2M. His pension will be reduced or wholly withheld. Yet tho pension belongs ,to tho teacher, who has worked for it and paid for it, and it is nothing short ot robbery to withhold it." These comments illustrate a grievance that exists in the Public Service and that has been emphasised of late by tiie conditions arising from the war; the prospect of being able to retire on superannuation after so many years' service is one of the* inducements offered young people to enter the Public Service. Deductions are made from the salaries tor payment into the uipcraiinuation funds, the scale of aupwannualion depending upon the yqars of service, A male teacher may retire on full superannuation after forty years fervico, and since., be has been paying into the fund over a long period of years he feels that the pension is not a'gratuity, but something that lie has earned and paid for. let the pension will be withdrawn, in whole or in part, if the superannuated teacher subsequently accepts public employment at a salary that, added to the pension, would bring the total income to an amount exceeding ! he salary ho earned when he retired. During the last year or two the shortage of skilled and experienced workers in the Public Service has brought many superannuated employees back into .'he Departments, and the'subsequent'reduction of pension hu3 provoked much complaint. The position is governed by legislation, and it v;ou]d require an amendment of the law to protect retired Civil Servants in the enjoyment of their pensions if thev accept public imployment after retirement. Section 37 of the Public Service Classification end Superannuation Act reads: "Tf any contributor who has retired from the Public Service on a retiring allowance '. . . returns to duty while in receipt of a retiring allowance, or receives payment for services rendered by him to or. for any branch of the government Service while in receipt of a retiring allowance, then no more of' such retiring allowance shall be paid than Is equivalent, v;lien sulded to the remuneration so received by him in any one year, to-his annual salary at the date of his retirement."

The superannuated Public Servant who accepts private employment is not in the Fame position as the one who re-enters the State service. The nension will continue In bo paid in full no matter how much the retired Public Servant is earning in private employment.