‘Specific details’ wanted by nurses

Press, 25 February 1988, Page 6

‘Specific details’ wanted by nurses

An appearance by the Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger, before a Parliamentary select committee considering the State Sector Bill raised more questions than it answered, said the Nurses’ Association yesterday. Mr Rodger appeared before the committee on Tuesday evening and said that the Government was committed to carrying forward all existing conditions of employment for State servants in the wake of the State Sector Bill.

The executive director of the Nurses’ Association, Ms Gay Williams, said yesterday that in spite of this statement, the association was still very concerned.

“If Mr Rodger intends that no State employee’s conditions will be lost he should publish the specific details and not just make generalised statements,” said Ms Williams.

Mr Rodger’s view conflicted with statements by the Minister of Women’s Affairs and the chairman of the State Services Commission, both of whom

said recently that some conditions were in doubt and would need to be renegotiated, she said. Mr Rodger should also start addressing all the other concerns that the State unions had about the bill, said Ms Williams.

It was a great pity that the chairman of the select committee, Dr Clive Matthewson, did not permit any questions to be asked of Mr Rodger, which only increased the association’s worries about the select committee process, she said.