COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE.

No. 26 of 1911.

An Act to amend the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1909, in relation to the Permanent Staff List, the Classification of the Clerical Division, New Appointments to that Division, the Suspension of Officers, and the granting of Furlough.

[Assented to 22nd December, 1911.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows :—

Short title and citation

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1911.

(2.) The Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1909 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-11.

Publication of list of officers.

2. Section nine of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (3.) the word “February” and inserting in its stead the word “August”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-section (3.) the words “first day of January” and inserting in their stead the words “thirtieth day of June.”

3. Section nineteen of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Classes of clerical division.

“19. The clerical division shall be divided into five classes. Each of such classes shall be sub-divided as set forth in the Third Schedule to this Act and the rate of salary of an officer in a subdivision of any such class shall be that assigned to such subdivision in such Schedule.

“Provided that the classification of an officer in a sub-division of the fourth class as existing prior to the commencement of this section shall not confer any right to advancement to the salary specified in the Third Schedule in respect of such subdivision.

“Provided further that, where the duties of any office included in first class are of such a special nature that they would not be adequately remunerated by the rates of salary specified in the Third

Schedule to this Act, the Governor-General may, on the recommendation of the Commissioner, fix the salary to he paid to the officer occupying the office at a rate not exceeding Seven hundred pounds per annum.”

4.—(1.) Section twenty-one of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

New appointments to clerical division to be to first subdivision of fifth class.

“21.—(1.) All new appointments to the clerical division shall be made to the first subdivision of the fifth class; and the rate of salary at which a person is first appointed to such subdivision shall be Sixty pounds per annum.

Increments.

“(2.) Every such officer shall he advanced after twelve months service in a subdivision to the next higher subdivision until his salary reaches One hundred and eighty pounds per annum, provided that such advancement has been approved by the Commissioner upon report from the chief officer as to the conduct, diligence, and general efficiency of the officer, and provided further that every such officer shall be entitled upon attaining the age of twenty-one years to a salary of One hundred and ten pounds per annum.

Special advancement.

“(3.) Officers who are classified in the first subdivision of the fifth class as existing prior to the commencement of this section may be advanced on the approval of the Commissioner to the second and third subdivisions of the fifth class with salaries as provided in the Third Schedule to this Act, although such officers have not served the full period of twelve months in each subdivision as prescribed herein.

“(4.) Officers who were classified in the second and third subdivisions of the fifth class as existing prior to the commencement of this section shall be deemed to have been classified in the third -and fourth subdivisions of the fifth class respectively as provided in the Third Schedule to this Act.

Increase to £200 dependent on efficiency of officer and value of work.

“(5.) Where an officer has served at least one year in the ninth subdivision of the fifth class, he may be advanced by yearly increments of Ten pounds to salary of Two hundred pounds per annum, provided that in the opinion of the Commissioner such increases are justified by the efficiency of the officer and the value of the work performed.”

(2.) The amendments made by this section shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from the first day of July One thousand nine hundred and eleven.

Amendment of s.48.

5 Section forty-six of the Principal Act is amended by inserting therein at the end of sub-section (2.) the following proviso:— “Provided that where the Chief Officer is satisfied that the charge is not of such a serious nature as to require a suspension of the officer, he may permit him to continue in the performance of his duties pending the determination of the charge.”

6 Section seventy-one of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Furlough.

“71.—(1.) When an officer has continued in the Public Service at least twenty years, the Governor-General may grant to him on

the recommendation of the Commissioner leave of absence for a period not exceeding twelve months on half pay or six months on full pay. Where an officer not having been granted such leave of absence retires from the Public Service after at least twenty years’ service, the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Commissioner may grant such officer six months’ pay upon retirement, or upon the death of any officer who has continued in the Public Service for at least twenty years and has not been granted leave of absence under the provisions of this section, the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Commissioner may pay to the dependents of such deceased officer a sum equivalent to six months’ salary of such officer. Provided that where an officer has been reduced in position or salary through misconduct, such misconduct shall be taken into consideration in determining whether the whole or any portion of the prescribed leave of absence may be granted or in the event of retirement or death of an officer whether payment may be made under the conditions prescribed herein and as to the terms of such payment.”

“(2.) Where any person has become transferred from any position of a permanent nature in the Naval or Military Forces of the Commonwealth or of a State to the Public Service of the Commonwealth either directly or through the Public Service of the State, his service in the Naval or Military Forces shall for the purpose of furlough be reckoned as service in the Public Service.”

Amendment of Third Schedule.

7 The Third Schedule to the Principal Act is repealed and the following Schedule inserted in its stead:—

Section 19. THIRD SCHEDULE.

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Scale showing rates of Annual Salaries of Officers in the Clerical Division:—