CIVIL SERVANTS WILL PRESS SALARY CLAIMS BEFORE TRIBUNAL

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1950, Page 4

CIVIL SERVANTS WILL PRESS SALARY CLAIMS BEFORE TRIBUNAL

The decision to approach the Government Services Tribunal with a fresh claim for an increase in the salaries of public servants was arrived at after all aspects of the question had been considered, said the national vice-president, Mr L. G. Anderson (Wellington), addressing the Wanganui section of ths New Zealand Public Service Association at its annual meeting last night. Data was being obtained and a case prepared, but two or three months might elapse before the clahn went before the tribunal.

All civil servants were aware of the result of the approach made last year to the tribunal, and members of the association in Wanganui could be assured that the decision was not received with jubilation in Wellington, either, said Mr Anderson. It was no use crying over spilt milk, however. The decision had been made and nothing could be done about it, but the association could take steps in an endeavour to rectify the position. The national executive in Wellington realised that it had a serious decision to make, and that whatever was decided it would be liable to criticism. An augmented executive considered all the factors involved and the question was fully discussed. The decision arrived at was not reached lightly. GENERAL CASE This was that the association should proceed with another general case based on increased costs of living, the ruling rate of wages and other factors, and ask the tribunal for an increase of £lOO for the basic grade, plus increased margins. He was aware, Mr Anderson added, that this was the subject of a good deal of comment among civil servants, some of whom had described the claim for £lOO as fantastic. The committee, however, was acting in the interests of all members and wanted to be fair to them. After discussing the question thoroughly it was believed that this would be a fair claim. Taken into account were the automatic maximum salaries for bank and local body officers and the value of money today as compared with 15 years ago. That the Federation of Labour had decided to make a claim for an increase of £2 a week was also a fair indication of the extra amount required by the breadwinner to make up for the higher cost of living. REASONABLE CLAIMS “We had no ulterior motive and we believe that this claim is fair to members,” said Mr Anderson. “I think that £lOO is a reasonable claim to make.” The executive also believed that it was too great a burden for the national president and secretary to prepare the association’s case for the tribunal. It was thought that some other persons should obtain the information required and hand it over to the executive. Consequently a subcommittee was set up, with power to co-opt other public servants, to collect the material and prepare submissions for the associations advocate.

The association had met the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) and the Cabinet committee of three, with the At-torney-General (Mr Webb) as chairman, set up to deal with Public Service problems. Mr Holland’s attitude was friendly, but he was non-commit-tal. Mr Webb was well-informed on Public Service matters and it came as no surprise to learn that he had been appointed chairman of the Cabinet committee. The Prime Minister did not have the time to meet the association on every occasion and for this reason had appointed a small committee to report back to him. SET-UP OF TRIBUNAL

One of' the questions discussed with the Cabinet committee at a meeting on April 5 was the set-up of the tribunal and the association’s claim for an independent chairman, as Judge Stillwell was already chairman of the Railways and Post and Telegraph Tribunals. Mr Webb had raised the question of whether the tribunal should consist of five members or three, but while Mr Webb favoured three members, the association was anxious that five should be retained. Discussions had been held with other branches of the Civil Service — teachers, police and railways—and all favoured one approach being made to the tribunal. It was also decided, as a combined body, to approach the Prime Minister for a clarification of stabilisation as it affected the Civil Service, and clarification of the Government’s attitude generally to the wage claims of civil servants. A letter was written to the Prime Minister, hut as yet. no reply had been received from Mr Holland making an appointment.

In the meantime the association was collecting all the data required for the case which would go before the tribunal, but by delaying the claims more effective information would be obtained. "Two or three months might elapse before the new case is heard, but we don’t think there will be any grave disadvantage in waiting,” Mr Anderson added.