Pay Rise Sought For Govt. Typists

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 15

Pay Rise Sought For Govt. Typists

(Ntw Zea'and Press Association) "ELLINGTON, February 12. h®® r ’ n g °f. an application by the I üblic Service Association for a variation in salary scales for the shorthand-typing and machining occupational class began today before the Government Service Tribunal.

The tribunal consists of Judge K. G. Archer (charirman), Messrs G. T. Bolt

< Government member), J. I W. G. Davidson <employees’ member), A. G. Rodda (Gov- i cmment assessor), and J > De’ah unity (employees’ assessor!. Mr D. P. Long is appearing, as advocate for the associa-! tion and Mr C. W. Massey for rhe State Services ComV minsicn. The application was for a’ variation of a portion of' De’erminetion No. 49 issued by "he Public Service Commissron in May last, and which gave effect to the proposals for the implementation of equal pay, consequent uoon the Government Ser-! vice Equal Pay Act, 1960, Mr' Long said, in opening his] submissions. The association’s claim' sought to remedy two maini sh. —comings in the scales. Mr Long sand the first related to the amount awarded to basic grade staff—typists, shortband-typdste and machinists—in relation to the salaries prescribed in the sane determination for other female employees to Whom their work was most closely related. The second related tn the loss of margins for those staff above the basic grade. Mr Long said that, to some extent, those were separate

issues, but the effect of both inadequacies was felt by graded staff who had lost both external relativity in comparison with other female scales and internal relativity m relation to the basic grade employees for whom they were directly responsible. Mr Long said both typists and shorthand-typists had for some years been paid on a scale that was almost identical with the clerical scale, and on which short-hand-typists had a maximum of £6BO. the same as the initial maximum applying to female clerks. For most of the scales prescribed for basic grade staff the association did not seek any change in the scale, but an increase in the maximum by way of an additional step. There was a prima facie case for preserving the relativity now existing between the shorthand-typist and the female clerk by advancing the shorthand-typist’s maximum to £825. Mr Long said the association’s attention bad been drawn to the fact that the Post Office Association was concerned at the possible reaction of male trades groups to the placing on or near the skilled tradesmen’s level of female groups that had no male counterparts. The association was, however, of the opinion that its recommendation was in accordance with its terms of reference and was most appropriate in all the circumstances. The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.