New members on State pay body

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 18

New members on State pay body

PA Wellington Mr Gavin Jackson, the retiring Secretary of Labour, has been appointed to the Higher Salaries Commission.

Professor John Dunmore, a former professor of French and head of modern languages at Massey University, will chair the commission. Mr Jim Francis will continue to serve as a member.

The Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger, said Mr Jackson and Professor Dunmore would replace Mr Richard Simpson (previous chairman) and Mr William Bimie, who resigned their positions last year.

The commission fixes salaries for politicians, departmental heads, medical practitioners, university staff, and heads of local bodies.

Last year’s review, which included a 37 per cent pay increase for the

Prime Minister, Mr Lange, was announced shortly before the wage round. It created big problems for the Government which wanted wage increases kept well below the 15.5 per cent private sector guideline which eventually emerged. Mr Rodger said he expected the commission to bear in mind the importance of timing in its announcements. The commission was expected to make a review soon, taking into account whether there was a case for adjustment from April 1 last year.

Mr Rodger said the Government also wanted the commission to take into consideration the in-, troduction of the goods and services tax on October 1.

It would be up to the commission to decide whether it should postpone its next review.