National Survey Of Caretakers’ Pay

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32222, 14 February 1970, Page 12

National Survey Of Caretakers’ Pay

It was highly likely, as a result of a national survey being undertaken through school committees on caretakers’ pay and conditions, that an approach would be made to the Education Department for improvements, said the assistant secretary of the Canterbury Education Board (Mr D. Wilson) yesterday.

He said that as a result, of a femit from the board to’ the annual conference of the! Education Boards’ Association, it had been decided to I review caretakers’ conditions 1 with a view to securing ini-1 provements.

Mr Wilson said he was a member of a committee set ;up to prepare a questionnaire for every education board. These had been circullated to school committees in the Canterbury area, and (included such questions as ) the adequacy of present hours and rates of pay. Another question likely to ■be brought up through the boards' association when the ) survey was complete was (that of equal pay for equal (work. At present a woman ion caretaking and cleaning; work in schools did not re-! Iceive as much pay as a man,) and this did not seem equit-1 (able. Mr Wilson said he felt! I strongly on the subject, and) considered it likely that an (approach would be made to) Ittie department for improveI inents. Reply To Union “Payment of above-award ; rates is made to a large number of secondary school caretakers in the Canterbury education district.” Mr H. M> McMillan, Regional Superintendent of Education, said yesterday. He was replying to Mr L. R. W. Lee, secretary of the Canterbury Caretakers and Cleaners’ Union, who in a previous statement implied

that no school caretaker in Canterbury was paid above award rates. “Of the 300 caretakers in primary schools referred to by Mr Lee. only 83 are employed full time,”'said Mr McMillan. “If the Canterbury Eduction Board consider that any of these full-tim caretakers has a case for pay ment of a higher rate ther any application to the depart ment will be carefully considered.”