VOLUNTARY WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1940, Page 5

VOLUNTARY WORK

SOUGHT FROM CIVIL. SERVANTS COMPILATION OF SECURITY REGISTER. CONTRIBUTION TO WAR EFFORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A proposal that the Staffs of State departments should agree to work a number of hours’ overtime without payment to compile the Social Security register from which the register of manpower for war purposes will be prepared, is being considered in the public service. The scheme, it is understood, was submitted to the various departments for their views by the Public Service Association. It was explained yesterday by an officer of one department that the work of compiling the register from the information already in the records of the Social Security Department would require the services of 200 public servants working full time for six months. As such a body of employees could not conveniently be released from their regular duties the suggestion was that the task be undertaken as a contribution to the war effort by officers prepared to work overtime without remuneration. On this basis it was estimated that the work could be completed within six months it GOO officers in the departments agreed to give up to about 10 hours a week of their leisure time.

The proposal was placed before a meeting of the staff of one of the larger departments on Thursday night by the department’s delegates to the Public Service Association. It was stated subsequently by one who attended that the scheme was fully discussed and had a mixed reception. It appeared that the more senior officers were willing to give some of their free time to the work, but the feeling among the more junior members and some temporary employees was strongly against it. Some of the opponents said they did not see why they should work overtime for nothing’, particularly—as one of them put it—as there was a Labour Government in power. Yesterday a circular was sent round for the signatures of those prepared to assist with the work. It is understood that about 80 per cent of members of one department signed it and that others are withholding their support pending further information on what may be involved in the work. The signatories were stated to be mainly those of officers of class six upward, namely, the more senior members.