Dispute On State Pay Rise Continues

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30152, 8 June 1963, Page 12

Dispute On State Pay Rise Continues

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 7. Pay increases which would add something over £550,000 to the total amount paid to State servants are the subject of the dispute between the Government and the .combined State Services’ organisation.

It was confirmed today that the pay rise originally offered by the Government as a result of the ruling rates survey was £5 a year for civil servants up to class 4 (which includes incomes up to £9BO a year). This may have been varied since, but the variation is not likely to have been downward. Public Service officials confirmed tonight that many of the points at issue between the organisation and the Government? remained unsettled It was not correct, they emphasised, that the Government offer to back-date the increase to last August 1 had been rejected. It was merely in the “not accepted" stage. The Public Service Association believed that the increase should be dated from July I. The difference would be close to £50,000 Another ground for argument is that tradesmen employed in the Public Service have been granted an increase which has no connexion with the ruling rates sur-

vey. and that any increase should be in addition to it. Though civil servants are unhappy about meeting the Cabinet 'committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand), they are not unanimous in refusing to negotiate if he is in the chair. Several said today that it would be a happier solution if the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) took over the chairman for the occasion