N.Z. CIVIL SERVANTS’ DEMAND FOR BETTER SALARIES

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1948, Page 7

N.Z. CIVIL SERVANTS’ DEMAND FOR BETTER SALARIES

P.A. WELLINGTON, October 5. The ' General Secretary, Mr. J. Turnbull, stated to-day that at a meeting of the National Executive of the Public Service Association, held last night, grave dissatisfaction with the economic plight of public servants, and criticism of delay of the special committee set up to adjust current salary scales and of lack of progress in establishing a permanent salaries tribunal. He said the committee discussed the possibility of petitioning Parliament with ,a request for a commission of inquiry to examine public service salaries. He stated: “The margins and anomalies committee had been requested over a year ago to bring Public Service salaries into line with those ruling in industry and adjust the margins for skill and responsibility. Although its establishment had been authorised in November, 1947, no section of the service, apart from the Government Printing Office, has yet received any benefits. It is considered that this delay provides additional proof that the present methods of salary fixation are entirely inadequate and underlines the need for the independent arbitration of a tribunal.

SINGLE TRIBUNAL SUGGESTED

“A letter from the Prime Minister, discussing the Association’s request for a tribunal and tentatively suggesting that the railways, teachers and all other State servants should be brought under a single State services tribunal, was considered by the meeting. After various courses of action, including petitioning Parliament had been discussed, it was decided in the meantime to continue negotiations with the Government. The executive officers were directed to co-operate with other State service unions in requesting the Government to speed the work of the margins committee and the following resolution was unanimously approved:—

“That the Prime Minister be advised that, the wage position of public servants being so unsatisfactory and the difficulties of equitable settlement by negotiation only having been so clearly demonstrated in past experience, particularly, in the margins committee, the Association considers the setting up of a salaries tribunal for the Public Servants under commission control is one of immediate urgency. That the question of the tribunal having wider jurisdiction is not one which should be permitted to 'delay the setting up of the tribunal, nor is it one necessarily for this association to undertake. Nevertheless the executive agrees to the executive officers approaching other State service organisations on behalf of the Government to ascertain their views on the matter.”

A meeflng tof the (Wellington branch of the Association will be held in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, when the National President, Mr. J. P. Lewin, will attend.