THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26541, 16 August 1947, Page 6

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

"AT GREAT DISADVANTAGE " COST OF LIVING NOT MET P.A. WELLINGTON, Aug. 15. “ The increase awarded falls far short of the increased cost of living and of the gain made by other sections of the community since the war ended,” said the general secretary of the Public Service Association, Mr J. Turnbull. “It leaves the wage earners, particularly public servants, at a great disadvantage compared with those whose salaries are derived from manufacturing and commercial businesses or investments. I. say particularly public servants, because while many other wage earners have ruling rates well in excess of award rates, public servants have been held 'strictly, to their salary scales. “The increase seems to be on a flat rate,” Mr Turnbull said, “and this further reduces the real margin for skill and responsibility. This may be of little importance in industry where the rewards offered for additional skill and responsibility have little regard to margins in awards, but it is of very great importance -in the public service, where the' margins are fixed and are already top harrow. “ Pronouncements of the Arbitration Court have no direct reference to State employees, but This increase will have to be applied to them, and the application is likely to be complex in operation. Many public servants have received increases since March, 1945, but those increases, while mostly below 10s per week, have varied very considerably as between the occupational classes concerned. Then again, different grades of the same occupational classes have received increases in differing degrees. For instance, those on top of the basic clerical grade, the largest single group in the service, received £7 a year, or approximately Jd per hour. Some above this received £l2 and some below received nothing. Moreover, such increases as were granted were specifically designed to bring public service salaries to parity with those outside.