P.M. repeats promise on forestry jobs

Press, 15 October 1986, Page 2

P.M. repeats promise on forestry jobs

PA Hamilton The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, yesterday repeated a promise that no forestry worker would be laid off during the transition to the new Forestry Corporation. According to a report, the new corporation could reduce its requirements for wage workers about 20 per cent, with permanent staff reductions reaching higher percentages. There could also be wide regional fluctuations as far as wage workers are concerned. The figures were given in a report by the chairman of the State Services

Commission, Dr Rod Deane, to the Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger. The figures are believed to represent a reduction of 760 of the 3800 wage workers now in the Forest Service who would otherwise transfer to the new corporation, and more than 450 salaried staff. Dr Deane, setting out details, of the Prime Minister’s meeting with forestry workers at Kaingaroa forest, said Mr Lange had spoken of natural attrition rates and indicated attrition could cope with a significant part of the problem for wage

workers. In Hamilton yesterday, Mr Lange denied an official “clarification” of his no-redundancies guarantee — that it applied only to March 31 next. “How can you possibly make a promise to cover a period of transition before the transition happens?” he said. The Forestry Corporation will start on April 1. Mr Lange is reported to have told the Kaingaroa forest workers that the Government would pay the new corporation to employ any worker it did not want to pay on commercial grounds.