CIVIL SERVICE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19801, 17 May 1934, Page 13

CIVIL SERVICE

RESTORATION OF CUT SOUGHT : i A NON-COMMITTAL REPLY By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, May 16. “Our quest can be expressed in a sentence—we have come to you as Prime Minister, to ask for the restoration of salary reductions.” In these words, representatives of the Civil Service, prefaced the presentation of a full statement of the case in support of the requests of the civil service for the re-' storation of salary reductions, presented to the Prime Minister to-day. The organisations represented were: Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Locomotive Engineers, Firemen ind Cleaners' Association, RailwayOfficers’ Institute, Railway Tradesmen's Association, Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association, Post and Teleiraph Guild, Educational Institute, secondary School Teachers’ Association and Public Service Association. Unanimous Support. “Never in the history of the Public Service of this Dominion,” said the ipokesman of the deputation, “have we :ome before responsible Ministers of ,he Crown with as full unanimity as we io to-day, and never have we had itronger grounds for the lightening of he financial loads that within the last hree years have been laid on the ihoulders of the Service, particularly >n those of our lower paid groups. We lelieve that the Service position, as we will outline it, imperatively demands inancial adjustment. The effect of the alaries’ reductions has been to reduce he level of the major portion of the nembers of the Public Service to financial breaking point, at least, in the case >f married men, and the vast majority :ome within that category. As for officers who have some responsibility above hat of what, for comparative purposes ve term the routine workers, the marlin between their wage rates and that >f the latter poorly paid class has been ;o whittled that the salaries they receive for the responsibilities they carry ire out of all proportion. Thus there s grave danger of the efficiency and norale of the Service being assailed.” Plight of Lower Paid Men: The statement set out in detail the alaries paid to various branches of the civil service, and reference was made o the effect of reductions in salaries lUd also in other charges. Point was nade of the fact that approximately 15,000 of the total number of public cervants are paid £239/15/- per annum, ir under and about 80 per cent, of this lumber are actually receiving £213 15/ir under. “Quite frankly.” said the tatement, "the State has placed many if its servants on a basis that makes it mpossible for them to clothe and feed heir families adequately, let alone carry existing fixed charges. And hey can do not one whit to help themelves, for a Public Servant is barred rom earning by added industry in his pare time, and even his wife is in the

main not permitted to earn a penny towards helping to maintain the familyfortune. Men who have never been in I debt in their lives are in the toils, and : their only hope of rehabilitation lies 1 with recognition by the State that one ■ of its highest duties should be adequate • payment to its employees —just wages : for services rendered. We say deliberately that the Government is failing in that duty when it permits its employees 1 to be financially submerged—employees who are working just as long hours (longer in many cases) and just as efficiently as they ever did.” Dangerous Encroachment. Reference was made to the public service adjustment committee, which it was claimed did nothing towards removing any individual hardship. “Not only has the Service had these severe salary encroachments,” says the statement, “but many groups of employees, particularly in the railway service, have suffered loss by reason of ssvcre modification in conditions of employment—conditions which took many years to secure, but have now vanished in a flash. Three months ago the Government created legislative power to postpone the five-yearly general reclassification of the Service, which was due on Ist April, 1934. If that power is availed of, then the effect will be tantamount to a further vage reduction for many officers.” Need Incontrovertible. The united voice of the public servile contends that the urgent need for the restoration of salaries is incontrovertible, whether viewed from the standpoint of justice, oi economic exigency of the cost of living, or of public service efficiency. The economis aspect is fully discussed and authorities are quoted in support of the claim for salary restoration, and it is contended that the overwhelmingmajority of traders in this country are hr favour of the restoration of salary reductions and would count the cost to themselves of increased wages as incidental to prospective internal trade. Cost of Living Basis. “We respectfully maintain,” stated the deputation, “that the main ideas which guided the Government in ‘giving the country a lead in 1931’ have not worked out as expected. In view of this circumstance, combined with the fact that the Budget deficit is no longer a matter of over £4,000,000, we submit that the time has come when the Government should give a definite lead in the other direction —that of increase in wages of all Public Servants to balance the present cost of living. “The Government will thus be in the forefront of the movement for wage and trade stabilisation within the Dominion and will place the whole community and the State itself in a better position to face any continued difficulties that may surround external i trade. “It will not be the first Govern- . ment to move, for, may we point out i that a few weeks ago, Mr Stevens, ! Premier of New South Wales, assur- ’ ed the Public Service Association oi , New South Wales that his Budget for ’ this year would not be completed until ; ‘the policy in regard to the Public ’ Service has been fully explored.’ The ' ‘policy,’ he suggested, would satisfy ‘ all but the insatiable, and again, ‘if conditions continue to improve the - Government will be able r.o give relief.’ ' . . . . ‘readjustments will be possible J during the 1934-35 financial year.’ 1 “The Commonwealth Prime Min- ■ ister, Mr Lyons, anticipated New South 1 (Vales by providing in the Common- > wealth Budget ‘restorations’ estimated : a(, 1(550,000 in the first year.

Action in Canada. “Then within the last few weeks | the Canadian Government, to,, has re- j stored the 10 per cent, cut to the j Canadian Public Service; whilst on April 17, the British Government announced the restoration cf one-half ->t all salary cuts from July 1. “Finally may we suggest that there is no greater claim on the resources of the State than the just wages of the State’s employees, and that continuance of the present salaries’ conditions in the New Zealand Public Service, as we have outlined them to-day, would mean the ignoring of that para - mount claim.” The deputation added that direct appeals to the Prime Minister had not met with the results that the strength of the claims merited. Never in the. history of the public service had they come before responsible Ministers of the Crown with as full unanimity as they did that day. Never had there been stronger grounds for the lightening of the financial loads that within the last three years had been laid on the rhoulders of the service. “Danger to Efficiency.” The effect of the salary reductions had been to reduce the ievel of the major portion of the members of the public service to financial breaking point, at least in the case of married men. In many cases the salaries received were out of all proportion for the responsibilities they carried. There was grave danger of the efficiency and morale of the service being assailed. In the case of administrative professional and expert groups the reductions had placed their salaries on a basis that underwrote the whole status of the service. Figures supplied were sufficient to inspire in New Zealand’s most capable and ambitious men the desire to avoid the public service. The public service in the past had suffered many losses of good and trained employees, but the higher credentials possessed by many to-day—and to-morrow —would intensify the leakage in the near future. The administration of State affairs was the biggest and perha_ s most complicated business in New Zealand, and it was short-sighted on the State’s part to have capable officers frozen for want of recognition, or to permit the payment of adequate salaries to be cavilled at by economy crusaders, with a frenzy to reduce salaries of public servants simply because they were public servants. In short, the State should value its public servants at least as much and as highly as a public company. Prime Minister’s Reply. Mr Forbes, in reply, said that till the Government received an estimate of what the finances would be during the , coming year it would be impossible for him to indicate that any of the cuts would be restored. When they had all the information regarding the finances before them they would be able to go into the position. No one would be better pleased than the mem- ’ bers of the Government to restore the cuts if it was at all possible. He had a great deal of sympathy for the . Civil Service and especially for those [ who were on the lower incomes. The , Government had imposed the cuts only i because the finances of the country : would not stand up to the payment of * full wages. It had been faced with » t’ .’o alternatives, either to reduce wages - or to reduce staffs, and had considered » the best thing to do as to reduce wages.