PUBLIC SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23365, 3 December 1937, Page 10

PUBLIC SERVICE

REGRADING OF OFFICERS INCREASES OF SALARIES TOTAL OF £371,000 INVOLVED ANNOUNCEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Dec. 2. The Supplementary Estimates, which it is proposed to introduce on Monday will provide for Increases in salaries to officers and employees of the State services, and. will /five effect to the general regrading provisions as from April 1. This statement was made by the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) in the House of Representatives to-night. “The last general regrading was In 1929,” Mr Savage said. “As members will know, regrading is due every five years, but there has been no regrading since 1929 The present Government, recognising that a review of salaries was necessary, arranged for the regrading to take place this year The Government has already fully restored all salaries as from July 1, 1936. to the 1931 level. It was. however, recognised that, with an improvement in the conditions and salaries outside the services, some adjustment was necessary inside, particularly in regard to those employees in the lower salary groups. Clerical Maximum Raised ■' , “After reviewing all the relevant factors and after hearing the representations of the various staff organisations of all the services,” the Prime Minister said, “ the Government has decided to improve the salary scale for the lower groups of the first division, or clerical officers. The maximum salary for class VII is being raised from £295 to £305, and this salary will be reached one year earlier than under the old gca ] e ** 1 The actual comparison between the old and new scales was given by the Prime Minister as follows; — Old Scale New Scale £BO £BO £95 £95 £lls .. .. £lls £135 £155 £155 £IBO £l9O £205 £2lO £230 £230 .. ... .. £255 £250 £2BO " £275 £305 The estimated annual cost of these Improvements this year for all services was given by Mr Savage as £77,000. “ In addition,” the Prime Minister «aid, “ it is being arranged that the efficient clerk when he has worked through Class VII will after a reasonable interval be allowed to proceed by increments to a salary of £335, the mrximurn of the next higher class. Typical Improvements “ The improvements are not confined to those in the first division or clerical groups, but have been extended to the second or general division groups in all services Typical cases are the following:— “The best-known representative of the Post and Telegraph Department from the boint of view of the public is the postman. Hitherto his maximum salary has been £240 This, it is proposed to raise to £250 this year, and to £260 next year. Adjustments of a similar nature, but not necessarily to the case figure, are being made in the maximum for other groups, such as linesmen, tradesmen, chauffeurs, postal messengers, exchange clerks, and so on, the total estimated cost being £39.000. “ In the Railways Department the adjustments already made in respect to the second division are estimated to cost on an annual basis £104,000 • The Higher Group? “Improvements Eire also' being made in the scales of salary for general division employees of the public service under the Public Service Commissioners and in the scales of pay for members of the Defence forces and other groups. Salaries in the higher groups of the first division have been dealt with within the existing scales “Under the general regrading scheme,” the Prime Minister continued, “ ‘ overscale' officers —that is. those who are in receipt of salaries beyond £765, the maximum under the salary scales—have also been dealt with where considered" necessary. Details of the last mentioned cases are shown in'" the Supplementary Estimates, as in such cases a specific appropriation is necessary. “ The salaries of the heads of departments and other administrative officers have also been reviewed, and particulars of those dealt with appear in the Estimates." The total estimated annual . cost of all the regradings, Mr Savage said, was £371,000. This amount, he stated, was made up as follows: Public Service (ineluding defence) .. £112, ; )00 Post and Telegraph .. £125,500 Railways . .. •• £133.000 “Every endeavour will be made to arrange payment before Christmas," the Prime Minister concluded “The Government recognises the splendid contribution rendered by all branches of the public service to the development of the Dominion and trusts that continued efforts will be made to im prove and extend the services so that the maximum development may be made to the benefit and, advantage of all our people.”