State Employees In Gisborne Face Holmes Dismissal Issues

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22851, 22 January 1949, Page 6

State Employees In Gisborne Face Holmes Dismissal Issues

Strong objection to the action of the Dominion executive of the

Public Service Association, in committing itself and the general membership to support a dismissed employee in legal action against the Government, was expressed at a meeting of Gisborne departmental representatives of the association, held on Thursday evening.

Concern was felt at development." which seemed to have tied up the association’s claims for salaries and wages revisions with the interests of ? probationary State servant whose dismissal by the Public Service Commission followed actions which many Gis borne members of the association could not approve The injection of political issues int< association affairs is regarded as highly objectionable by many members of the association in this district, who deplore also an aoparent infiltration of radical political elements into the association's structure.

Reflecting an earnest desire that the national executive should return at once to the fundamental association policy and issues, last night’s fully-re-presentative meeting carried a series of motions for immediate transmission tc headquarters. Possible Effects Discussed

Points raised in the discussion included the possible effect upon the associ ation's standing with the public as a result of the national executive's support of Mr. Cecil Holmes, the possible involvement of the association in legal actions the extent and upshot of which could not be forecast, and the importance of keep the Holmes issue separate from the questions on which the national executive has been negotiating with the Government in respect of salaries and wages.

Several speakers took strong exception to the countenance given by the national executive to a member of the association whose political connections and whose tactics in pursuit of his sectional organisation in the association were alike regarded as foreign to the purposes and policy of the Public Service Association.

Speakers on these points asked whether the national executive approved the terms in which Mr. Holmes had dealt with his colleagues in the section covering the National Film Unit, and which seemed to regard the rank and file of the public service as mere cyphers Members Not Consulted The point was made that in approving a grant of £25 to Mr. Holmes and assuring him of support in a "certain legal action” the national executive had acted without consulting the opinion of genera] members of the association. In this connection, it was revealed that no communication whatever had been received by the Gisborne branch from its representative on the executive either by way of inquiry as to local reactions on the' Holmes case or by way of information bearing upon the decisions of the executive.

Further issues raised by a statement issued by the general secretary of the association, Mi - . J. Turnbull, were touched upon in the discussion. One of these was that in certain circumstances the appoinment of a full-time paid president might be discussed; and another was the proposed provision to place honorary officers on a paid basis where necessary.

These suggestions were regarded as radical departures from the constitutional system of the association, and it was felt that if any such actions were undertaken it should be only with full consent of a majority of members of the association, secured after a full discussion by sections and district organisations.

A majority of those present felt that the course of events to date had already committed the association too far on a course which they could not approve on the information available at present. A complete divorcing of association issues from party-political issues was regarded as absolutely necessary, in the interests of the public service generally.