20
Annexure B.
+
483
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TILLHC.O.882/11
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
(Confidential.) MEMORANDUM BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE CEYLON PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.
THE modified scheme drawn up by the Treasurer according to the formula and tabular statement accompanying his letter dated 1st May, 1931, is unsuitable and quite inadequate to meet the claims of compensation for loss of career as far as it affects the 25 departments of the public service represented by the Ceylon Public Service Association.
While this scheme appears to give reasonable compensation to officers up to the age of 43 years it does not meet the claims made by the l'ublic Service Association as set out in their Memorial dated the 31st March, 1931, to the Secretary of State. The compensation proposed for officers between 43 and 55 years of age is insufficient, and no provision is made for officers who expect to serve up to the age of 60 years, nor has any consideration been given to officers joining the service at a late age. From the age of 45 onwards this scheme only gives the minimum abolition terms which have already been held to be inadequate.
It is our opinion that any scheme which involves progressive reduction of com- pensatory pension between 50 and 55 would be of grave danger to the service. Senior officers with no prospects of any increased pension after 50 might decide to retire while still comparatively young, with the object of obtaining employment to supple- ment an inadequate pension.
After careful consideration of all the schemes of compensation put forward we are strongly of opinion that the proposals embodied in the Secretary of State's scheme No. 1 are best suited to meet the claims of the various departments represented by the Public Service Association. Amongst other points the adoption of 50ths as a basis instead of 60ths, the former of which includes the tropical bonus spread over the whole of an officer's service, is considered to be the best basis for an equitable com- putation of claims for compensation.
It is considered that the Secretary of State's proposal to add an additional 50 per cent. for compensation for loss of career with a maximum of 100/600ths reasonably meets the claims of our Association as set out in the Memorial to the Secretary of State. The view of our Association that 60 years should be taken as the normal age at which an officer's career terminates is also accepted in the scheme of the Secretary of State. Officers in the technical departments, whose average age at joining the service is about 30 years, give up their careers at home with the full expectation of continuing in service up to GO. To such men the years of service between 50 and 60 are of great value.
A reference to the list of pensioners in the Civil List will show that a very large number of technical officers have continued to serve beyond 55 years of age up to 60. This is a long established practice, and any scheme which fails to recognize it cannot be considered as offering reasonable compensation. The Treasurer's scheme does not meet such claims in any way.
Taking all the circumstances into consideration we are prepared to state that the only scheme put forward which would be acceptable to our Association, in lieu of the proposals set out in the Memorial dated 31st March, 1931, is the Secretary of State's scheme which is based on 50ths with an addition of 50 per cent. for compensa- tion subject to a maximum of 100/600ths.
It is respectfully requested that a copy of this memorandum may be forwarded to the Secretary of State.
Colombo, 6th May, 1931.
H. B. LEES, Chairman.
G. H. PRITCHARD, Secretary.
The following which has been omitted should be added to the penultimate para-
graph of our memorandum dated 6th May, 1931 :—
It is of course understood that no pension would exceed the maximum of 331/50ths (2/3rds): and that the number of 50ths added as compensation shall not in any case exceed that number which if added to the age of the officer would bring that age to 60.
Colombo, 8th May, 1931.
H. B. LEES, Chairman. G. H. PRITCHARD, Secretary.