EMPLOYEES WITH FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 23969, 8 November 1939, Page 8

EMPLOYEES WITH FORCES

SERVANTS OF LOCAL BODIES TREATMENT WHILE ON ACTIVE SERVICE Recommendations by the Municipal Association of New Zealand for uniformity of action in the treatment of local body employees who enlist in the naval, military or air forces were adopted by the Invercargill City Council at its meeting last night. When this question was being discussed, Cr L. A. Blackmore said that the council had done its share towards assisting the Government in its campaign for recruits for. the special military force. It had already passed a resolution granting half-pay for two months to those employees enlisting and he thought it had played its part in helping the Government. The council decided to adopt a recommendation by the Finance Committee that the existing resolution granting half-pay for a period of two months apply to those officers and regular employees who enlisted and were accepted for service not later than November 30, 1939. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS The following are the recommendations which were made by the Municipal Association and adopted by the council:— , , , “(1) That the normal annual leave of officers and employees is to continue to accrue and may be taken as leave on their discharge from the forces.. Payment for leave should be at the civilian rate of pay of tLe soldier on his discharge from the forces. In the event of death an equivalent payment, based on the leave then actually due on this basis, should be made to the dependents of the officer or employee. “(2) That an officer’s or an employee’s contributions should be paid by the local body in cases where a superannuation scheme is in existence, or where a National Provident scheme is in force in lieu of a superannuation scheme. Where an officer or employee, however, makes private contributions to the National Provident Fund he should himself be liable for such contributions. “(3) Officers and employees should themselves be liable for all premiums on life and other insurance policies.’

In a circular issued by the association it was stated that it had been unanimously decided not to recommend that any subsidy of the soldier’s rate of pay should be made by local bodies for the reason that the subsidy would be an unfair discrimination in favour of soldiers, who were employees of local bodies, against other soldiers who were not so employed. This principle was apparently recognized by the Government, which was making no such payment to public servants who enlisted. ’ . The town clerk (Mr W. F. Sturman) said that it had been intended to call a meeting of representatives of local bodies in Southland to discuss this question, but it was now considered that if the various bodies accepted the lead given by the Counties Association and the Municipal Association there would be no necessity to hold the conference.