EMPLOYMENT & PAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 July 1940, Page 5

EMPLOYMENT & PAY

GUARANTEE TO SOLDIERS ON RETURN PROPOSED BY MR J. A. LEE. BILL SUBMITTED TO HOUSE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Provision for soldiers, sailors, and airmen with the New Zealand forces overseas to be guaranteed five years’ employment on their return to the Dominion, for deferred payments for the period of war service, and for a review of their pensions in certain conditions, are contained in the Soldiers’ Guarantee Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives last night by Mr Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn). Mr Lee asked that the Bill should be proceeded with next sitting day. The schedule of the Bill sets out that the soldier, after his return to New Zealand, should be guaranteed employment for not less than five years at standard rates of paj r in the trade to which he was accustomed, or at not less than £5 a week. It is provided that the dailj r difference between the average adult income of men employed in New Zealand and the soldier’s daily rate of pay shall be computed and be credited to each soldier in proportion to his length of service with the forces, and these deferred credits shall be realisable in 20 equal quarterly amounts issued or credited to each soldier on his return to New Zealand. For this purpose no addition is to be made to the soldier's rate of pay for food or uniform and no reduction is to be made for rehabilitation gratuity. The Bill provides that the basic soldier’s pension shall be subject to periodic and automatic review in the event of any increase in the cost of living, or any improvement in general living standards. No disqualification for pension of a deceased or disabled soldier's wife or widow and children is to occur on account of the date of the soldier's marriage. Any soldier who is a civil servant, it is stipulated, shall, on re-employment, be entitled to any increased emoluments that would have been added to his pre-war wage had he not been accepted for service overseas.

The Bill makes provision for the issue of a bond to every soldier, prior to embarkation, granting these conditions, and it is to be read in conjunction with any other relevant Acts passed witli reference to the present war with Germany so long as it does not prevent a soldier from receiving any greater benefits to which he would be entitled under any other Act. The Bill was read a first time.