Printers ‘Received £50'

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 3

Printers ‘Received £50'

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 9

Government Printing Office tradesmen had received an average increase of about £5O a year, the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) said in a letter released today by the Government Printer (Mr R. E. Owen).

The letter was sent yesterday to the general secretary of the Public Service Association (Mr D. P. Long).

In it Mr Shand sjpid that as a result of an investigation of outside rates by the State Services Commission in 1965, £4O a year was added to the printing tradesmen’s wages. “At the same time changes were made in the operation of grades which had the effect of an average increase for printing office tradesmen of approximately £5O a year.”

“The State Services Commission considered that the result of the special survey of printing wages was in substitution for and not in addition to the rights of these employees to participate in

the results of a general ruling rate survey. “For this reason when the £5O disclosed by the February, 1966, general ruling rate

survey was applied to other groups in the service, the commission excluded the printing trades from participation.” This had already been mentioned to the association’s representatives when the mid--1965 printing increase was discussed. Mr Shand said the Government had attempted to find a “fair and reasonable” solution to the dispute. The offer conveyed to Mr Long on August 30 provided for back pay of £25 from August 1. 1965, to meet the belief of the printing tradesmen that they would receive the general survey increase.

“The Government considers this to be a generous offer in the circumstafices,” the Minister said.

Mr Shand said that proposals made in Mr Long’s letter were not acceptable to the Government.

“It is disturbing that the association has seen fit to take direct action in this dispute when it has already lodged an appeal to the Government Service Tribunal, which is able to make a decision binding on all parties,” Mr Shand said.