Women’s difficulties in Public Service

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33512, 18 April 1974, Page 12

Women’s difficulties in Public Service

Nru* Zealand Press Association*

WELLINGTON, Apris 17.

The tendency in the Public Service Association was to “push” males in the belief that men were there for a career, whereas women were likely to leave when they had children, said the general secretary of the association (Mr D. P. Long) today.

He told the Parliamentary Select Committee hearing on women's rights that this probably influenced training. PS.A. submissions to the committee said that proportions of women, both in total and in the various grades of the Public Service, had changed very little in the 10 years since the full implementation of equal pay. Mr Long said the opportunities for women to resume employment after some years of caring for children were too limited and led to the loss of potentially competent and skilled workers. Career protection This resulted largely from the need to protect the career prospects of those who had remained in the Public Service.

"We have no hesitation in ! endorsing the principles underlying that need. “However, in order to provide opportunities for those who have had training and shown themselves bv their previous work experience to be competent, we consider that on their re-entry they should not have to undergo a probationary period, particularly if they have already served a probationary period in that occupational class.” This would improve their promotion prospects from the time they rejoined. Mr Long ‘said. A number of factors led inevitably to the conclusion that women had less career prospects in the public ser- , vice. These included adult rates, job advertisements, occupational training, removal expenses, housing loads, maternity leave, welfare provisions, superannuation and retraining. “These examples are out of place in such a public ser-1 vice, as indeed they would oe for any employer. Government or otherwise, concerned to preserve a good reputation, provide the best service; and advance the competence and abilities of its employees,” he sard.

Wage warning

In its submissions to the committee, the Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity: urged that the Equal Pay Act ' ■ be amended to provide that the “national” male rate on which pay for women wilt be based, be adjusted by wage--1 award increases and cost-of-: I living orders. Otherwise, the council said, from 1977 on. women would I b< paid the male award rate. 1 while men were being paid in excess of the award. The council said it believed that women in. the private ‘ sector were even more dis-' 1 criminated against than those Ilin the State services. 1 Boards, councils i s The National Development . Council's committee on women urged that women be t encouraged to serve on local s{bodies, public boards, and in i Parliament. Noting that many appomtt ments were made by the . Government it called on the t State actively to seek women i to appoint to boards, and to . give some priority to such 1 ; appointments. On 102 statutory and • allied boards with female membership, the number ot| I women involved was only, I 210, against 827 men. Of 87 members of Parliament, four were women, and j 1080 people on county coun-fj cils throughout New only 11 were women. Ofj 326 hospital board members, i] only 96 were women. The committee also recoin- j mended.— i Changes in education to alter , the stereotyped roles ofj, men and women, and to improve counselling and | guidance services. New attitudes towards voca- I tion training and re- < training, and a close ‘ study of the Australian j

scheme for retraining those on low incomes. General availability of! maternity leave. State agencies to take a positive lead in ensuring that women are treated on equal terms with men. 'Courses to be available on human development, and more emphasis to be placed on community counselling services. Mothers’ benefit The introduction of a dependency allowance by way of benefit for mothers caring for children. Equality in jury service. Positive policies to improve the status, confidence and self-respect of the woman in the home. More encouragement for the use of joint family home schemes and other mutually satisfactory arrange- j ments for handling the family income. A review of the Equal Pay; Act to ensure that satis-; factory progress is being made. No separate sections in Government departments dealing solely with women. But the committee said it did not consider an antidiscrimination act of Parliament to be needed, provided the rights of individuals were embodied in other legislation.