PAY REDUCED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 152, 30 June 1939, Page 8

PAY REDUCED.

HOUSING STAFF,

35 MEN INVOLVED.

REORGANISATION SCHEME.

ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY.

An extensive scheme of reorganisation is boin-f undertaken among the outside personnel of the State Housing Construction Department at Auckland, ami as a result reductions have been made in the wages of 3.5 men, while i'thers have I u diverted to different grades of work. It is stated there have been no dismissals. The function* ~f the Housing Construction Department and the State Advance* Corporation are closely allied, though entirely separate. The* former acquires the' land, builds the houses under contract, prepares the sections, this involving a considerable amount of earthwork, lay-; the concrete path* and provides such amenities as letterboxes, fences and hedges. The linn nee for this is provided by the State Advance* Department, which draws its funds from the Reserve Bank. When const ruction is complete and the house lias been dually taken over from the contractor the Housing Construction Department loses further interest, the letting and collection of rents being in the hands of the State Advanced Corporation. Auckland's large-scale scheme of housing construction has been responI sible fo'r the employment of 500 men on outside work, principally of the unskilled and semi-skilled type. Among the staff there are many classifications, including fencers, stonemasons, concrete workers and carters. They come within the scope of four awards, the Stone Masons'. Carriers', Local Bodies', and New Zealand Workers' Cnions. Two months ago there was an upheaval in the Department at Auckland following the resignation of the inspector in charge. A section of the men expressed strong disapproval of the alleged reason for the resignation of the inspector, stating that this action had been forced upon him by his disapproval of the methods in force in Auckland. The action taken by this section of the | staff was the subject of strong censure by the Minister of Housing, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong', and an inquiry «a* instituted by the Public Service Commissioners. ; It is stated that it is a result of this dissatisfaction and the attention that was drawn to the matter that the present internal reorganisation of outside staff is la-iiig undertaken. It is understood that the withdrawal of the subj sidy formerly paid to Xo. l.'J scheme men has made neces-ary a measure of ' economy in the control of the Department, and reductions in salary are for the purpose of. bringing about greater ; efficiency. Pay at Award Rate. There is no authority for Government Departments to pay above the award rates of pay, and in making the adjustments now effective the new inspector at Auckland, Mr. R. L. MacPhail, has , fixed all rates at the award levels. Mr. MacPhail stated to-day that the principal men whose pay has been reduced are under-bosses of various kinds, timekeepers and foremen in charge of small bodies of men. The reorganisation scheme had made it possible to tlo without the services of these men in these particular categories. They had not, however, been discharged, but' bad been offered work if. other categories, in many cases their status had been reduced, and the |iay they would receive in future would be th.', award rate for the particular work they J were assigned to do. { The decreases would be up to 3d per j hour, or 10/ per week, said Mr. MacPhail. In the various categories there was no shortage of labour available, and where men wished to lea\e the Department to take up private work at better rate of pay they were not discouraged to do so. "The position in a nut«hell is that all the men are lieiug paid award rates, but that some have been transferred | to work in different categories, where thev receive a smaller rate of pay," said Mr.' MacPhail.