PUBLIC SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26214, 26 July 1946, Page 9

PUBLIC SERVICE

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES PLACES ON PERMANENT STAFF DESIRABLE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 25. “ The greatest single task to be faced in the public service, apart from the general regrading, is the solution of the problem of the present large number of temporary employees,” states the annual report of the Public Service Commissioners, presented in the House of Representatives to-day. With the almost entire cessation of the permanent appointment of adults during the war years, the number of temporary employees in tlie service had increased until it was substantially in excess of the number of permanent employees. The report states that for some years prior to the war normal methods of recruitment to the public service had totally failed to meet the staffing demands of the service, which was expanding rapidly on account of the introduction of social legislation, the absorption of outside bodies into Government departments—for example, internal marketing and broadcasting—and the recovery of ordinary activities after the years of the depression. Of necessity, recourse was had to the engagement of temporary employees to meet the demand. Many of these employees were occupying positions of a continuing nature and positions which should be held by persons with permanent status. It was desirable from the viewpoint of both the Administration and the'" employees that as many as possible of those who would be required indefinitely to cover the noiynal activities of the service should be on the permanent staff. The report states that the endeavour made to l’educe the amount of overtime being worked throughout the service had been attended with some success, and overtime had declined substantially in most departments. In general, overtime was uneconomic, and as the staff situation became easier it should be reduced to a point where it would be required only to cope with a temporary rush of work. The composition of the staff force that did the clerical work of the public service appeared to warrant review, the report adds. There seemed little doubt that in the past the use of wellqualified clerical cadets on comparatively routine tasks for long periods had been a wasteful use -of the abilities available. It was proposed in the near future to follow the suggestion of the Public Service Consultative Committee and to establish a class of employees to be known as clerical assistants with the object of giving higher qualified junior employees an increasing opportunity to take responsibility at an earlier age. The need for a revision of the present Public Service Act and regulations was becoming increasingly apparent.