ARBITRATION ON QUESTION OF PAY CUT IN CIVIL SERVICE

Mrs Seow Peck Leng asked the Minister for Labour and Law whether there exists an Agreement between the Government and the Civil Service whereby any dispute can be referred to arbitration at the request of either party; and to state the reasons for not referring the question of Pay Cut to arbitration until the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, has been brought into operation.

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, to the first part of this question:

`Whether there exists an Agreement between the Government and the Civil Service whereby any dispute can be referred to arbitration at the request of either party;',

the answer is Yes, there is such an Agreement.

To the second part of the question:

`to state the reasons for not referring the question of Pay Cut to arbitration until the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, has been brought into operation.',

Mr Speaker. Sir, the Civil Service Staff Side Council wrote to me for the first time asking for arbitration on 5th September, 1960. By that time plans were well advanced for bringing the Industrial Relations Ordinance into force. In fact, as I have mentioned just now, the Ordinance was brought into force on 15th September. 1960. Under this Ordinance, collective bargaining and arbitration in the Civil Service is subject to the same law as that regulating these activities in private employment, and arbitration under the Agreement referred to would therefore not be possible as it would be contrary to the provisions of section 30 of the Ordinance.

Mr Rajah: Mr Speaker, Sir, is it not within the ambit of the Minister in charge of Staff matters to enable such a dispute to go to any arbitrator?

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, under the procedures that are available to either side under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, there is a procedure for negotiation - one side must serve a notice to treat on the other, and so on, thereby bringing the dispute to the collective bargaining stage. If they deadlock then there are procedures under the Ordinance for conciliation. When conciliation breaks down, there is the procedure open to them for reference of the dispute to the Industrial Arbitration Court. Those procedures must be followed.