PUBLIC SERVICE GRADINGS

Evening Star, Issue 25770, 17 April 1946, Page 11

PUBLIC SERVICE GRADINGS

ARRANGEMENTS EXPLAINED ADDRESS BY ASSOCIATIONS PRESIDENT Arrangements made with, the Government for the general regrading of Public Service officers this year were explained to members of the Otago Section of the New Zealand Public Service Association last night by the Dominion president (Mr J. K. Hunn) at a special meeting of the section. " Experience has shown that the 'Consultative Committee may well be established in some permanent form to deal with Public Service personnel matters in general," said Mr Hunn. " The committee set up to formulate the new salary scales recently announced by the Prime Minister (Mr P. Eraser), but even' though it has completed this task there is no reason why it should be disbanded. As an experiment in conciliation, it proved successful, and the national executive feels that it provides the best method of dealing with service problems in the future." There was statutory provision for five-yearly regradings, continued Mr Hnnn, but nine years had now elapsed since the last one. and there were many anomalies which the association expected to be remedied on this occasion. Mr H. Symons referred to the many disabilities affecting both permanent and temporary officers under the present unsatisfactory system of recruiting mainly temporary staff. He outlined proposals submitted by the association to the Public Service Commissioner for the placing of the large body of temporary employees on the permanent staff. On the motion of Mr W. Mathers the meeting passed a vote of confidence in the National Executive.