STATE ENGINEERS

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27738, 16 August 1955, Page 12

STATE ENGINEERS

Mr Holland’s Views On Salaries

“RIGID ATTITUDE” OF INSTITUTE DEPLORED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 15. “Quite frankly, I think you’re enirely wrong in the rigid attitude you ave takers towards improvement in our condinons,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) to members of the Civil Service Institute at a lunch to;day. Mr Holland said the attitude had been that salary increases had to be given to all or to none. Since* about 1920 there had been different salaries for engineers in two groups of departments, he said. When the Governlnent assumed office there was an agitation for the lower-paid engineers to be put on the same level as those on the higher salaries. But that adjustment ‘ still had not been made, because the Government had not been given an undertaking that the engineers above those who were to receive an increase would be happy about it. “Where there is a serious injustice it cannot be corrected because of the attitude of your various organisations,” Mr Holland said. “How can you reconcile the demand that you are making for increased pay with the demand of the dairy industry to keep costs down jn a time of falling prices?” he asked. It was a difficult problem, he said, for the Government was aware that overseas engineers were offered much higher salaries. “I suppose when it comes to that we could pay you another £5OO a year,” he said, “but where would we get to once w r e are to pay more to your second, third, and fourth in command?”