Not all Govt staff ceilings cut

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34149, 10 May 1976, Page 4

Not all Govt staff ceilings cut

(N.Z. Prest Ataoclation) WELLINGTON. The Government has made it clear that not all Government departments will have to hold staff numbers as at February 28.

The Minister of State Services (Mr Gordon) said in a written statement that staff ceilings of a number of departments would decrease, but that in some “vital areas” ceilings would be maintained or increased.

It is believed by the N.Z.P.A. that the Government has approved “justifiable” increases in the staff of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research when scientists are needed to work on vital research, for servicing the Industrial Court, to meet transport developments, and for the Police Department. The sources who disclosed these approvals said that both the Police Department and the Defence Department came outside the scope of the staff ceilings imposed by the Government in relation to State services covered by the Combined State Service organisations. Both would he expected to hold staff levels while, particularly in the case of the Police Department, knowing that the Government would look favourably on cases where they felt extras staff were needed.

Mr Gordon said in his statement that to provide the flexibility necessary to meet essential needs the Government was seeking a reduction in staff ceilings of individual departments in the publie service at the rate of one-eighth of 1 per cent a month until March 31, 1977. "This means that some vacancies will not be filled as they occur. This general downward pressure on staff ceilings will create vacancies which can, and where necessary will be aillocated to

those departments which must have essential relief.” He said the net effect of this would be that staff ceilings of a number of departments would decrease, but others would be maintained or even increased in some vital sectors.

“This proposal will not involve any dismissals. The normal turnover of staff — more than 7000 staff left the Public Service last year — and possible reallocation of staff within the same locality should provide enough

flexibility to meet the new targets,” Mr Gordon said. It is believed that Public Service employee representatives have indicated to Mr Gordon that they are willing to accept the transfer of people from one department to another.

This "swapping” is believed to be particularly applicable to Post Office staff, where a number of telephonists and other staff are likely to become redundant in the near future because of the opening of automatic exchanges.