GIGANTIC UNDERTAKING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 783, 2 October 1929, Page 9

GIGANTIC UNDERTAKING

CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY COMMISSION CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN British Official Wireless RUGBY, Tuesday. A Royal Commission on the Civil Service, under the chairmanship of Lord Tomlin, a Judge of the High Court, has been appointed. The 15 members include education authorities and persons connected with public work. Five of the members are women, namely, the Duchess of Atholl. a Conservative M.P., Mrs. Ayrton Gould, Mrs. Hamilton, a Labour M.P., Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Wintringham, formerly a Liberal M.P. The terms of reference are:—To Inquire into and report upon: (1) The structure and organisation of the Civil Service, including recruitment; (2) the conditions | of. the service with particular reference to the general standard oc remuneration and the existing differentation between the remuneration payable respectively to men and .women, the machinery for the I discussion and settlement of ques- | tions relating to the conditions in j the service and the position of exj service civil servants in unestab- ; lished employment; (3) the con | ditions of retirement from the Civil Service, including the retirement of women on their marriage. The Civil Service Royal Commission is a gigantic undertaking, says one of the commissioners. Its findings may affect hundreds of thousands of people. EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK The terms of reference have been framed so as to bring every matter of importance affecting the service within the limits of the inquiry, particularly the position of the 75,000 women civil servants who have long been pressing for equal pay for equal work. Such a change would cost the country £3,000,000 a year. Some of the men's organisations j are afraid the principle of equal pay | would result in a general levelling down of salaries. The "Morning Post” describes the commission as an attempt to placate i the trades union element of the Socialist Party. Ever since the general i strike the Civil Service unions have agitated against the law which pre- | vents them taking part in political j movements.