CLAIMS BY STATE EMPLOYEES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 49, 7 December 1948, Page 2

CLAIMS BY STATE EMPLOYEES

Tribunal a Means of Delay OPINION EXPRESSED BY MASS MEETING (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Doc. 0. The grievances of State employees at the discrepancy between their wages and salaries and those received by other people in comparative jobs, and also at the delay in granting increases recommended were reviewed in detail by speakers who addressed the largest meeting of public servants ever held in Auckland at Carlaw Park to-night.

The attendance was estimated to be nearly 2000 people, mainly men, who heard details of the negotiations between their representatives and the Government, and carried with little dissent resolutions supporting the decisions of the Margins and Anomalies Committee. Arranged by the Auckland branch of the Public Service Association, the meeting was addressed by the Dominion president of the Association (Mr J. P. Lewin), the general secretary (Mr J. Turnbull), and the general secretary of the, Railway Tradesmen’s Association (Mr T. E. Gebbie). The resolutions carried were: (1) “That this mass meeting of members of State services’ organisations brands the refusal of the Government to accept the recommendations of the Margins and Anomalies Committee as a stab in the back of its employees, and affirms its determination to continue to organise until a favourable decision on the margins commission is obtained. Further, we consider the device of referring these claims to our or other tribunals to be merely a means of delay and evasion.” (2) “That this meeting of Government combined organisations demands that its national representative make immediate representations to the Government to have the wages rates unanimously recommended by the Margins and Anomalies Committee adopted, failing which combined meetings of Government organisations be held throughout the country to decide further action.” (3) “That this mass meeting of State employees has complete confidence in the central committee of the combined State service organisations.” After the final resolution had been carried by acclamation Mr Lewin said: “And we will continue to press the Government by whatever means are necessary until we bring home the bacon.” (Sustained applause.)