Signal of disquiet over State commercialisation

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 8

Signal of disquiet over State commercialisation

By

MARTIN FREETH

in Wellington

The Government received a clear signal of party disquiet over State sector commercialisation in party remits yesterday calling for more consideration of the social consequences and greater consultation.

But the party’s most strident critics of State restructuring failed to win majority support for specific directives to halt Post Office corporatisation.

Delegates passed remits to express deep concern at the principles under-

lying the commercialisation of departments and called for public services to be preserved from “user-pays” encroachment.

They called also for a Ministerial task force to investigate immediately the social impact of the Government’s , present proposals and also to include employee, minority group and Labour representatives on the boards of new corporations. The conference passed remits to extend the coverage of the State Services Conditions of Employment Act and to ensure all changes affecting

employees be subject to consultation with State unions.

However, the conference declined to strengthen concern into full opposition to the Government’s restructuring. It tossed out amendments calling for a halt to present commercialisation proposals and, in particular, those to break the Post Office into three corporations. Instead, delegates affirmed the party’s commitment to ensuring that “fair and reasonable” services continue to be available to all from the Post Office.