UNEMPLOYMENT DISCUSSED

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT DISCUSSED

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 13. Representatives of the Combined State Services Organisations met Government representatives today to discuss the unemployment situation and “the need for the Government to accept at least the proportion of school leavers in the Government service this year as in recent years.”

The deputation, led by its president of the organisations (Mr W. B. Tucker) and the secretary (Mr D. P. Long) spoke for about half an hour with the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) and the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand). Mr Tucker said after the meeting: “The main thing we discussed was the importance of returning to and maintaining full employment.” The organisation was particularly concerned about the difficulty the large number of school leavers would have this year in finding jobs because of the unemployment situation, he said. “We. feel the staffing ceilings established for Government departments should not deter the Government from recruiting the same proportion of school leavers it has in the past.”

He said the Government did not appear to regard the

staffing ceilings set for departments as “sacrosanct.”

The deputation had not put forward any suggestions for improving the employment situation. It had received an assurance that the Government would keep the departmental staffing position under review.

Mr Shand said the schoolleaver problem would not become clear until the end of the year.

“W e are going to watch it very closely and act with a proper sense of responsibility,” he said.