Flexible disciplinary measures for P.S.A.

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 23

Flexible disciplinary measures for P.S.A.

PA Wellington. Disciplinary' provisions for breaching the rules of the Public Service Associction will be made more flexible. The association’s annual conference in Wellington agreed to a rule change which will effectively give a wider ranger of penalties for anyone found guilty of breaching the rules.

Under the rules, as they now stand, a member who commits a breach can be suspended for a period not exceeding two months, or be expelled. A sub-committee set up to examine the P.S.A.’s, rules considered these two options too restrictive. It proposed the following range of penalties: (1) Censure: (2) Suspended imposition of penalty for a period of up to one year provided that an undertaking is given that the member involved will abide by the rules; (3) temporary or per-

manent expulsion. However, the conference did tighten- up the rules in another area.

It agreed to the insertion of a new ground upon which a member might be considered to have acted detrimentally to the interests of the association. In future any member who attempts to set up an alternative organisation intended to exercise the industrial functions performed by the association will find himself facing a breach charge. An appeal against suspension or expulsion will still be taken to the annual conference, but under the rule change the decision will be made ori a show of hands of those delegates present — without direction from their section or occupational group — and not a card vote.

The changes must be registered before they become effective and this could take some time.