Proposal will end Haast dispute

Press, 25 August 1981, Page 2

Proposal will end Haast dispute

Wellington Reporter A satisfactory formula for resolving the dispute at Haast,-involving Ministry of Works staff, has been reached. ' But the State Service Commission and the Public Service Association have still not. reached final settlement on a, proposal for initiating the payment of an “isolation allowance” to all public servants who live in isolated places throughout New Zealand. The Combined State Unions made a proposal to the State Services Co-ordi-nating Committee on July 21; the committee made a fur- ' ther. proposal to the unions on July 30. The committee is still awaiting a reply, according to an assistant commissioner of the State Services Commission. Mr D. Swallow. He said that he believed that there was agreement between the parties on the main principles of the suggested package. The principal negotiators on both sides had always thought that the proposed isolation allowance would be . paid.oh a two-tier basis — the top rate for employees with dependants and half that rate for employees without dependants. This was consistent with the policy for paying the “remote allowance.” Mr Swallow was critical of . what he called a wrong interpretation of the facts and “a flamboyant threat of industrial action” by . the Christchurch regional secretary of the P.S:A., Mr J. M. McKenzie.