C.S.U.-Govt talks on State pay-fixing

Press, 5 December 1986, Page 3

C.S.U.-Govt talks on State pay-fixing

By PATRICIA HERBERT in Wellington

The Combined State Unions will meet the Government today to discuss the timetable for introducing proposed changes to State pay-fixing.

The Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger, announced the initiative yesterday and said it was “a positive move on the part of the unions.” He looked forward to making rapid progress.

The meeting is expected to be the first in a series. In the meantime, the Government will defer making a formal response to the C.S.U.’s submissions on its reform document.

Already, however, it has indicated a possible

compromise. Mr Rodger said that while the Government would still prefer a single piece of legislation covering the Stateowned enterprises and the broader review, the prospect of two separate packages could also be a matter for consideration. The chairman of the C.S.U., Mr Colin Hicks, was cautious in his attitude yesterday but welcomed the agreement to hold talks. He said the C.S.U. remained unhappy about the speed with which the Government was moving

and remained strongly opposed to a number of the changes which had been recommended but that it was pleased the Government had acknowledged the need for negotiations. There could be no doubt that this change of stance was caused by union pressure, he said, but warned his members not to raise their hopes too much. “We still have a long way to go to turn back thei adverse proposals contained in the Minister’s discussion paper,” he, said. t.