THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1975.
GOVT ACCEPTS RECOMMENDATIONS BY CLERICAL COMMITTEE
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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ANNOUNCED ITS ACCEPTANCE OF MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE CLERICAL CLASS SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.
THIS FOLLOWS CONSIDERATION BY FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE REPORT.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT THE REPORT COVERED 15 WEEKS INVESTIGATIONS INTO ALL ASPECTS OF THE STRUCTURE AND WORK CONTENT OF THE CLERICAL CLASS. IT WAS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE CLASS UNDERTAKEN DY THE GOVERNMENT SINCE THE POST-WAR RESTRUCTURING IN 1947.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE A SMALLER, BETTER PAID, BETTER MOTIVATED AND MORE EFFICIENT_CLERICAL WORK FORCE TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THE 28 MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHICH ONLY FOUR INVOLVED COSTS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT WITH TWO MODIFICATIONS.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVING COSTS WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL APRIL 1, 1976 AND WILL BE CONDITIONAL ON THE SAVINGS FORESEEN BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE DEING REALISED DURING THE PRESENT FINANCIAL YEAR, AND ON THE FINANCIAL SITUATION AT THAT DATE. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO AGREED TO ONE, AND NOT TWO, PROFICIENCY INCREMENT FOR CLERICAL OFFICERS RANK 11.
THE CHANGES WILL INCREASE THE INCOME OF THE 9,500 STRONG CLERICAL GRADES BY ABOUT $13.44 MILLION ANNUALLY, BUT THIS WILL BE MORE THAN OFFSET BY CORRESPONDING SAVINGS FROM REDUCED NUMBERS AND INCREASED RESPONSIBILITIES,
+IN FACT,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THERE WILL BE A SMALL DECREASE IN THE TOTAL COST OF THE CLERICAL CLASS, AND FUTURE GROWTH WILL BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN IN THE PRESENT STRUCTURE.+
THE JOINT COMMITTEE HAD RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WHOLE PACKAGE ON APRIL 1 THIS YEAR, BUT IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT FINANCIAL SITUATION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO POSTPONE IT FOR 12 MONTHS. THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW A MORE DETAILED EXAMINATION INTO AREAS WHERE COMPARABLE SAVINGS MAY BE MADE.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED IN PRINCIPLE, INCLUDE SALARIES IMPROVEMENTS FOR CLERICAL ASSISTANTS OF $30 A MONTH AT THE MINIMUM AND $190 A MONTH AT THE MAXIMUM.
/CLERICAL OFFICERS