CIVIL SERVICE SUPERANNUATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 21, 4 June 1908, Page 9

CIVIL SERVICE SUPERANNUATION.

— : -C " ■. THE LATEST GRIEVANCE. . TWO POINTS OF VIEW. Tho griovnnco in regard to 1 the Superannuation fund with which a deputation of Civil Sorvants approached tho Hon. Goorgo Fowlds in Anoklnml on Monday has caused a groat deal of . discussion among Civil, Servants in tliis city. Tho deputation asked , that rll officors who join the fund by Juno 30 shall bo placcd on tho voters' list for the clectijii of tho Superannuation' Board on July 6. At presont only thoso contributors may vote who join by Juno 16."\ The Minister replied that ho would bring tho'mutter boforo Cabinet, and endeavour to havo. tho grievance remedied, j ' : • " Evon at this late dato,':thoro exists a good deal of miscoiicoption regarding some of the conditions of tho fund. A representative cf The Dominion has endeavoured to investigate the'.position from both sides, that of tho aggrieved porsons, and that of tho ofli- •• cials who uphold, tho regulation that ,is subject of complaint. 'Tho argument of the ag- . grieved'officer is as follows • V Tho .Afct, States that a Civil .Servant may "at any time, within six months after the coming into operation of this Act (i.e., by Juno 30), by. notico. to the Secretary of tho Board, elect to become n contributor to tho fund." v vv,.: .■ ■ curtailed privileges '■But a regulation published m last week's " Gazette " stated . that ofily; thoso ..persons should be allowed to yofe\ln tho;election <f a board who join tho fn'ndbefore Jiirie 16.-"

, This subsequent regulation ourtails, it is complained," the 'p/ivilego granted ;by the Aot itself, under, which' Civil Servants are allowed, till Jutif '30' to came within, tho protho. fund. And tho' value of that privilego cai\- b« r asseseftd by each officer' in exaot ternis'pf 1 shillings'and pence. A Civil Servant jvith ft salary' of £500, and on a 10 per cent.' basis as regards his payments to the fund/must snffer deductions from' that saliry to tho', value ,of £50 a year, or £4 3s; 4d. aj moithj imtnediately no becomes .a contributor to tho'fundV . Generally ho is, w»x-. ! ious to.'dcfer'tlie hccessity for these deductions 'as poSsiblo, and: the"Supei'anriuation'Act''allowed' hiin to'do' EO, ho maintains,'till Jupo 30, without losing ,any of the. benefits 'of a first' contribuitor," If.: iu". accord&nee'%i3fl>hb'Ac<> .ho sliall join the fund on r ho will'oiily suffer a deduction, for Juno, of oiio-thirtieth of hiS,monthly contribution. 1 If' ho joins, say; on June 15,; in timo tO obtain.voting rights, ho will bo liablo for half that'monthly- contribution—that is to say, about £2 will .bo deducted from his salary, wnieh he might haj-e saved by postponing his Jidtaission tho fund: The ; Civil Servant^whb' so. argues. eonstdprs it a real injustice ithjit h'o ;: should \ho hurried into joining thOj'fiind: at'incrpased expense tp himself by i t.-'provisiony. that: ho will loso his iiulo'ss.ho' shall come in at a dato, provious ( ,;Jto by tho Act for the acceptdnoo of ' r "nejv () contribntors. LEAVING THE SERVICE. The point does not affect tho average Civil Servant, who up to the presont was compalsorily 'insured j and has' now given up his insflfance to join'tho siiheme. Ho is, in many cas^.'flush of .capital at this moment. Tho Acti'&llowed hini to receive the surrender value' of . his policy,' and one man - is said to have'received Mek sis much as £300! of insurance premiums and bonuses. Several othorsj' it is ;stated, have left the Service to in business ■ on their own account' with the. insurance money .they have drawn, and thus an Act;; which .had as one of its primo'. objects ,tho keepingji of. mon in tho Service,; has assisted them to get' promptly out of it. Other men; who-have drawn their ' insurance money, . while, receiving, nothing which was not their owh, liavo' felt too grateful for the acCoss •of present and availablo richesto grudgo a: trifling • portion to the Superannuation Fund; though they might c6capo the liability by deferring'their admi33iorr';tß''tho_''3ehe'mq.:" ""'Ncither'docs this 'grievance ' affect ; tho former ! temporary clerk.. Wb'eil ho was made, a perniahent' official, ho became liablo _ at,'once to either insurance or 1 superannuation'paylnonts! He bad no ehaneb'^'"of waiting tilf june 30. '•/ ;

THE CLASS AFFECTED. The/present trouble . affects permanent Civil Servants who, for some reason or another, , havo , escaped compulsory insurance in tho pasti Most of. them have escaped bocanoe they entered tho Service in the early days when insurance was noi. compulsory. There are said to be a" considerable number of this class, and they are indignant that, ; when tho Act oxprasaly-'gavo them till Juno SO to ' become contributors to the fund, by, coniing m, a fortnight earlier, they must pay 103., IssiV.£l, or £2 for the privilege of Many liavo found i themselves in this position 'who'were taking a strong' interest in tho Superannuation Board election.' Their votes were eagerly soUrited ; by' candidates and promised, and now they find that they will have no votes, Unleis they come in by Juno 16.' This they declare they will aot do. . ■ - These officers admit that the date of tho election' was fixed by the Act for July 6, and that an interval-is necessary after the enrolment of voters ceases before the election can be hold! But they fed that if the intention • of; the Act could bo altered in one direction, as they claim it has 'been, tho date of the elfectiOn could have been postponed; by special Ordor-in-Council, and their present grievance prevented. TFIE OTHER SIDE. ' In defence of the abused: regulation, it is argued that the date of the election 1 could; pot havo been altered; after it was filed by the Act. It is stated ; that no matter when application is made to join the fund, deductions and benefits only commfenco on' tho date from which: tho officer. elects to become' a contributor.' 'Thus;' an officer *could join on January 1; as from ' Juno '30, ' and he would not become liable to deductions till the latter dato. This "point Is interesting, as tho malcontents imply that it, Was not understood by many Civil', Servants who, in the early months, of the: year, sent in their applications to-becomo contributors as from the dato of writing;'• As against this it is stated,, in official quarters,- that the position, was madO'plai&ito all, and that no Dno.had necessity to incur deductions'during ihe, earlier months, unless by passing one sf ,the ago limits he' would come under an increased scalo of contribution by delaying. By those who defend the regulation, severe Comments are passed 011 officers who would' grudge . 10s. 0r.45p.„ at ,tho incontion of a scheme ,which;-is 'entirely in. their own interests. It is-'statep, that "tho men who will have most .%-j»j',Car6 not murmuring, and the decision |of • dissatisfied.- ones to forego their, voting, rights, if they should fail to got. hnvamelidment of tho regulation, is.describedjas " cutting off thoir noso. to spite theiijftfee.'', V. '