P.S.A.’s patience ‘at an end’

Press, 17 October 1986, Page 5

P.S.A.’s patience ‘at an end’

PA Wellington The Public Service Association yesterday lodged claims with five new State corporations seeking agreement on staff transition which would guarantee existing pay and conditions. The association’s president, Mr Colin Hicks, said his members’ patience at lack of progress on the matter was at an end. If agreement could not be reached before the end of the month there would be industrial action, he said. Letters of claim were sent to the State Coal,

Airways, Electricity, and Lands and Forestry corporations. The letters called for an urgent meeting to be held before the end of October to negotiate transition arrangements. Corporation proposals on personnel issues should be tabled at the meeting, and the meeting should be advised of any possible staff surpluses that could result from the transition. Mr Hicks said the claims followed up a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, and the Minister of State Services, Mr RoSger, on Wednesday at

which the State unions protested against the failure of the corporations to respond to a claim lodged on July 7 with the State Services Commission. “Five months have passed since the Government announced its decision to establish the State owned enterprises,” Mr Hicks said in a statement. “Numerous attempts have been made to get a satisfactory response from the Government on the protection of existing staff. “Each time we have been told to talk to someone else. The process of passing the bucKhas now

run out of time.” P.S.A. members in the Electricity Group would hold meetings throughout New Zealand next week to discuss the latest claim. Members in State Coal, Civil Aviation, Lands and Survey and Forestry had also been asked to consider the issue, he said. In its letter to the corporations, the P.S.A. said the Government programme for environmental reorganisation could be jeopardised if the Lands and Forestry corporations were unable to respond to the claim urgently. “It is evident that sincfe

the Government’s announcement on May 19 we have been unable to make any progress whatsoever on the transition,” the letter said. “It will be equally evident that in view of the constructive efforts made by the unions in this time, the patience of our members at the lack of progress is now at an end. “If progress has not been made by October 31 there is likely to be a serious collapse in the confidence of our members which may well result in an immediate resumption of a campaign of industrial action.?