PUBLIC SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 May 1939, Page 10

PUBLIC SERVICE

DISCONTENT IN RANKS. Discontent exists for several reasons among members of the Public Service, in which a feeling of restiveness is arising as the result of the Government delaying its decision on a number of important matters, according to this month’s issue of the “Public Service Journal.” “We are. not unmindful of the fact that the Government, is grappling with major problems- of State, but this does not warrant the continued, postponement of determination on the just claims of its employees,” the pub-| lication states in. an editorial. “It is true that considerable- improvements have been effected in Public Service conditions since the present Government has been in power—restoration of salary reductions; improvement in salaries and scales- through the general regrading; and reduction <of hours.

“There are, however, questions of considerable importance l still requiring attention: —Restoration of certain rights of appeal; payment of salaries fortnightly; appointment of qualified

temporary employees to the permanent staff: restoration to General Division employees of additional week's annual leave on completing ten years’ service; improvement in boarding allowance for cadets: extension of basic wage at 21 years of age to the- Public Service: mninium award rate of pay to artisans; extension of clerical

award wages to permanent, and temporary clerical workers who are 26 years of age; improvement in rates cl’ travelling allowance; and- conditions and rates of pay for overtime.” In expanding these points, the

journal mentions that the rapidly in-

creasing number of temporary employees who have the qualifications to be placed on the permanent, staff but

who are retained' on a temporary basis, with all the consequent disadvantages, is a definite reason for unrest among certain groups. The. withholdings of an additional week’s leave as a reward for continuous employment is another cause, for discontent.

The faint response of the Public Service Commiss.ioyer to representations on the question of an increase in boarding allowance for cadets living away from home apparently indicates that he has little knowledge of the heavy commitments for living expenses of cadets under 21 years of age, the journal says. "Until the Government takes some steps to bring the Public Service into

Ilin-? with minimum wages outside the I service there will be dissatisfaction," lit is further stated. Another point I made, bearing on travelling allowi ances. is that the State should not permit any public servant to be out of pocket so far as legitimate travelling expenses and concerned, and northing less than a reasonable increase lin tra velling rates will meet the case. “The question which is causing as much heart-burning as any in the Public Service, at. the present moment relates to the' conditions and payment for overtime." the editorial continues.

"The present rates range from 1/6 tin hour for officers receiving not more than E ISO a year. Io 3/6 an hour for

officers receiving £3BO to .12-170. They are so much below rates that are paid to workers outside the Public Service that, it is astonishing that the Government has permitted them to remain wit bout amendment for over three years." H is pointed out also that rm provision is made for ovc-riime for an officer receiving over £l7O a. year, and in addition the regulations fix a

- maximum to the amount payable fot ! overtime worked by an, officer during L any calendar month. “There are a number of Depart • ments regularly working overtime, by reason of volume of work or shortage of staff, in which, no overtime whatever is being paid for, the most notable instance being possibly the Public Works Department,” it is stated. In some departments, the Public Service Commissioner has approved jof overtime being paid for work in excess of 40 hours a week, instances be-

ing tiie Customs and Social Security Departments, in which the staffs are working overtime at the rate of four to five nights a week. The fact still remains, however, that they are being remunerated at a totally inadequate rate. “We feel that the Government cannot reasonably delay further in making its decisions on all these questions —that is, if they desire to play fair with their own employees,” the editorial concludes.