PUBLIC SERVICE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23112, 29 January 1945, Page 4

PUBLIC SERVICE

Negotiations For Better Salaries (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 27. Executive officers of the New Zealand Public Service Association will shortly be interviewing the Prime Minister on the question of increased salary scales for the entire Public Service, said the president (Mr A. H. O’Keefe) to-day. “The progress that has been made in our negotiations for new scales has been the subject of numerous inquiries from public servants and others, particularly during the last week, and we desire to make the present position clear,” said Mr O’Keefe. “Shortly after the 1944 conference of the Association the executive officers began the preparation of the many-sided case for new salary scales for public servants.

“Within a month of the conference long discussions were commenced with the Public Service Commissioner, who finally said that the Association would have his support in making representations to the Government for improved salary scales, provided the stabilisation question could be overcome. The Commissioner also agreed that Public Service salaries were undoubtedly very much behind ruling salaries for comparable workers in industry,” said Mr O’Keefe. The Public Service Commissioner had been most reasonable throughout the negotiations, added Mr O’Keefe, and, subject to the approval of the Government, had agreed in principle to the early regrading of the Public Service and' the setting up of adequate machinery for the formulation of new salary scales. “It remains for us to reach agreement with the Prime Minister on the basis discussed jith the Commissioner, and we expect to do that at our approaching interview,” Mr O’Keefe concluded.