“LAW UNTO ITSELF”

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 152, 24 March 1937, Page 12

“LAW UNTO ITSELF”

Office Girls in Public

Service AWARD WAGES NOT PAID A complaint that the Government did not pay to its own employees the salaries the commercial community was required to pay under awards for similar services was made by Mr. D. J. McGowan at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night. Mr. McGowan said a case had been brought to his notice of a young woman office worker, aged 22 years, whose salary in the Public Service was 30/a week. Under the award a private firm would have to pay her 36/- a week. She had matriculated in 1930, obtained a higher leaving certificate in 1931, and passed tea subjects for the bachelor of commerce degree. If she worked at night she only received tea money for work up to two hours. A private firm had to pay time and a half rates for overtime, plus tea money if the employee lived more than a mile from the place of employment. The Government was inconsistent so far as its own employees were concerned. The young woman to whom he had referred had now left the Public Service and was working elsewhere at an increased salary.

Mr. R. H. Nimmo: Did she leave as a result of that treatment?

Mr. McGowan: Yes, so her father tells me.

The secretary, Mr. E. Al. Bardsley, said that he had had applications for a position in his office from a dozen girls in the Public Service, and in not one case had they been receiving the award rates. One girl, aged 19 years 10 months, who had been working for three months in the Government service, was receiving 15/- a week, whereas under the award she was entitled to 24/-. Mr. McGowan: The Government is a law unto itself.