Appeal rights subject to change

Press, 24 February 1988, Page 8

Appeal rights subject to change

Political reporter The Government had always been committed to carrying forward existing conditions of employment in the wake of the State Sector Bill, said the Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger. After public uncertainty over the fate of conditions for public servants, the Minister made a statement to the Parliamentary select committee con-

sidering the bill. By conditions, Mr Rodger included such provisions as salaries, allowances, annual leave, longservice leave, retirement leave, and flexible working hours. But such areas as appeal rights and the nature of the employing authority were clearly subject to change in the bill, he said. What would be carried forward were what fell

under the conventional definition of working conditions. “The question really is not whether to transfer these conditions but rather in what form conditions are carried forward.” State sector employers were codifying these conditions. It was important, before this process advanced much further, for

the State sector unions to assist in this codifying. This would ensure that all the conditions were included in the draft agreements,” said Mr Rodger. It was intended that the codified documents, once they were agreed to, would be enforceable by the parties through the Labour Relations Act, he said.