‘Cheese-paring’ On Pay

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 3

‘Cheese-paring’ On Pay

(HZ Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 9. The Opposition today attacked the Government’s “cheese-par-ing” policy on airtraffic controllers’ salaries.

Mr J. Mathison (Opp., Avon) said technical staff was short in the administration of New Zealand’s air services. Last wek the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) had said the Government had decided not to implement the committee of inquiry’s recommendations for the top two grades of air-traffic controllers. This was “cheeseparing” on the recommendations of an outside group of experts who had recommended what the salaries should be. Would aircraft be flown without traffic controllers in certain areas? Mr Mathison asked. The Under-Secretary of Finance (Mr Muldoon) said the situation in the Civil Aviation Department was the same as in other departments and in industry. “There is a shortage of labour in this country.” There was “no kind of sense” in departments buying personnel from each other. Salaries in State services had to be kept in line. Wellington had a surplus of four air-traffic controllers. Auckland was the major airport with a shortage. Mr W A. Fox (Opp.. Miramar) said it was fallacious to say that a desire to keep every department in line would mean not stepping out of line where safety was concerned. It was useless to talk of increasing tourism if there was not sufficient personnel to conduct the country’s air Mr J. B. Gordon (Govt.. Clutha) asked the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) to confirm that New Zealand air-traffic controllers were averaging £4OO more than

their counterparts in Britain. The Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) who is chairman of the Government Administration Committee said the question of salaries for air-traffic controllers was raised in 1964, when the Government reviewed their salaries. . Increases of up to £2OO a year were granted and the controllers felt their salaries still did not compare with salaries overseas. Mr Shand said the recommendations of the committee he set up covered every rate

in the service except the top four positions. However, since 12 months had not elapsed since the promulgation of the new scales, the Public Service Association had a right to object to them. Mr Shand said that as soon as the P.S.A. agreed with the recommendations, the salary increases would be paid retrospective to January. Mr McAlpine said New Zealand was short of 18 airtraffic controllers and the department intended recruiting overseas.