TEACHERS’ SALARY SCALE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 283, 26 August 1944, Page 8

TEACHERS’ SALARY SCALE

Conference Discussion

INTERVIEW WITH PRIME MINISTER Reporting yesterday to the annual conference of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association on the result of their interview during tlte morning with the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, on the subject of the new schedule of salaries for post-primary teachers, the members of the deputation. Mr. Frank Milner, Miss E. M. North, Mr. IV. Caradus, Mr. G. Meß. .Salt and Mr. E. J. Aim (secretary of the association), said that only minor concessions in the direction of conference’s desires had been offered. The Prime Minister, the deputation informed the conference, had taken very strong exception to the terms of the discussion of the salary question on Wednesday, particularly to the mention of direct action. Mr. Fraser had told the deputation that the matter of increased salary levels was really in the province of the Stabilization Commission, and that only adjustments mainly in the middle of the scale, could be offered. He had said that the door had always been open for negotiations with the Education Department, end it remained opeu. Mr. Fraser had renewed the offer made by the Minister of Education to set up a consultative committee to deal with recruitment of teachers, conditions of employment, aud salaries. When conference resumed the discussion of .the question, which had beep suspended on Wednesday immediately it became known that the Prime Minister had consented to receive a deputation. Mr. J. Colquhouu. Palmerston North., revived the motion moved on that occasion calling on the executive to ascertain, by means of ballot papers sent to all members. the feeling of the association as to the use of direct action if necessary. Feeling of Teachers. Mr. McKenzie. Auckland, moved as an amendment that the ballot should, ask whether members were in favour of limited or full direct action. ‘‘l think a lot of us feel we have been unjustly dealt with,” he said. Mr. Colquhouu agreed, to his motion being altered to conform with this. A delegate said he thought all talk of such action should be dropped. If they went on strike for a day or so the event would be burnt on the minds of the children aud it would be a very bad example for them in their after life. Miss E. M. North said she hoped conference would decide against the holding of the ballot. “The deputation was hampered from the start this morning by being put on the defensive because of the previous discussion, and future action will only be made more difficult.” When it eame to the point, many who now felt they would be stirred, to direct action would be inclined to think twice. The motion was defeated.A delegate said it should be made clear that conference had reached the stage of talking strike because of mismanagement on the part of the authorities. They had been confronted with the position that their approaches to the Stabilization Commission and the Prime Minister had been completely ignored. The public and the Prime Minister should understand that. He moved that the secretary be instructed to prepare a full and detailed statement of the course of the salary negotiations, copies to be sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education. the Director of Education and the Press. This was approved. A delegate said he felt they owed it to certain members to make it clear that in talking on Wednesday of direct action they represented a big section of tbe conference. It was not iustified that they should be spoken of as hotheads, the term th- 1 Prime Minister had used. To suggest that any single delegate was responsible for the feeling was very far from the truth. He moved that it he recorded that any expression by any member in favour of direct action was not individual. but represented a strong bady of opinion among teachers. This was carried.