PUBLIC SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 September 1934, Page 12

PUBLIC SERVICE

WAGE-CUT RESTORATION [per press association.] WELLINGTON, September 1. Government employees will not get their 5 per cent, increase in pay until the end of September at the earliest. Many were disappointed yesterday to find that the back pay expected together with the increase, was not paid out. Before the rise, which is retrospective to April 1, can be paid by the Treasury, the Finance Bill will have to be put through Parliament and this cannot, be done for at least, a week yet. Until that' measure is passed, there is no authority for the Treasury to pay the money out. The only effect of the delay will be that the back pay will be all the more, representing the difference between the present salaries and 5 per cent, additional for six months. Another aspect which may cause some mild disappointment is that the 5 per cent, increase in salary is not quite so much as restoration of the cut to the same extent would have been. The plan actually adopted means, according to a careful calculation, that the employee whose net salary is £236 per annum will receive 26/- less under the salary increase system than would have been the case if there had been a restoration of the 5 per cent, reduction.