Commonwealth Public Service Regulations (Amendment)

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STATUTORY RULES.

1937. No. 118.

__________

REGULATIONS UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE ACT 1922-1937.*

THE PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD appointed under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1937, in pursuance and exercise of the authority conferred upon it by the said Act, and subject to the approval of the Governor-General, hereby makes the following Regulation.

Dated this fourteenth day of December, 1937.

F. G. THORPE,

Commissioner.

Approved in Executive Council this fifteenth day of December, 1937.

(SGD.) GOWRIE.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

for Prime Minister.

_____

Amendments of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations.†

Variations of salary on account of variations in cost of living.

Regulation 106a of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead:—

“106a. (1) For the purposes of this regulation the term ‘index number’ means the weighted average retail price index number for the six State capital cities of the Commonwealth, as shown in the ‘Court’ series of retail price index numbers published from time to time by, or at the direction of, the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.

(2) Where the index number for the six months ending on the thirty-first day of March or the thirtieth day of September in any year is less than 81.7, salaries payable in pursuance of regulations 104, 105, 105a, 105b and 106 of these Regulations shall, as from the commencement of the first fortnightly pay period beginning in the

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on       , 1937.

† Statutory Rules 1935, No. 18, as amended by Statutory Rules 1935, Nos. 44, 72, 78 and 119; 1936, Nos. 5, 55, 76, 88, 106, 116, 143 and 154; and 1937, Nos. 11, 25, 54, 60, 74, 78, 87, 100 and 103.

6876.—9/10. 12. 1937.—Price 3d.


month of July or the month of January (as the case may be) next following, be reduced by the appropriate amount shown in the following table opposite the index number group within which the said index number falls:—

Index number groups.

Amount of decrease in salary.

Adult males.

Adult females.

Officers under 21 years of age.

 

£

£

£

 

Per annum.

Per annum.

Per annum.

79. 4-81. 6

6

4

3

77. 1-79. 3

12

8

6

74. 8-77. 0

18

12

9

72. 5-74. 7

24

16

12

70. 2-72. 4

30

20

15

67. 9-70. 1

36

24

18

(3) If the index number falls below 67.9 salaries shall be further reduced on the basis indicated in the last preceding sub-regulation, that is to say, for each fall of 2.3 points in the index number salaries shall be reduced by £6 per annum in the case of adult males, £4 per annum in the case of adult females and £3 per annum in the case of officers under 21 years of age.

(4) Where the index number for the six months ending on the thirty-first day of March or the thirtieth day of September in any year exceeds 83.9, salaries payable in pursuance of regulations 104, 105, 105a, 105b and 106 of these Regulations shall, as from the commencement of the first fortnightly pay period beginning in the month of July or the month of January (as the case may be) next following, be increased by the appropriate amount shown in the following table opposite the index number group within which the said index number falls:—

Index number groups.

Amount of increase in salary.

Adult males.

Adult females.

Officers under 21 years of age.

 

£

£

£

 

Per annum.

Per annum.

Per annum.

84. 0-86. 2

6

4

3

86. 3-88. 5

12

8

6

88. 6-90. 8

18

12

9

90. 9-93. 1

24

16

12

93. 2-95. 4

30

20

15

95. 5-97. 7

36

24

18

(5) If the index number rises above 97.7 salaries shall be further increased on the basis indicated in the last preceding sub-regulation, that is to say, for every rise of 2.3 points in the index number salaries shall be increased by £6 per annum in the case of adult males, £4 per annum in the case of adult females and £3 per annum in the case of officers under 21 years of age.


(6) The following amounts shall be added to salaries payable in pursuance of regulations 104, 105, 105a, 105b and 106 of these Regulations after variation, if any, has been made in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this regulation:—

 

Per annum.

 

£

Adult males.............................

16

Adult females...........................

11

Officers under 21 years of age ................

8

(7) The amounts referred to in sub-regulation (6) of this regulation shall be deemed for all purposes to be part of salary.

(8) The first adjustment of salaries under this regulation shall be made as from the commencement of the first fortnightly pay period beginning in January, 1938, and shall be based on the index number for the six months ended on the thirtieth day of September, 1937, which shall be deemed to be 70.6.”.

__________________

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Commonwealth Public Service Regulations 1937, enacted by the Public Service Board under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1937, were introduced to address the need for an effective mechanism to adjust salaries of Commonwealth public servants in response to changes in the cost of living. The Public Service Board was empowered to make these regulations, which were subject to the approval of the Governor-General. The primary policy objective was to ensure that the salaries of public servants remained aligned with the prevailing cost of living, thereby maintaining the purchasing power of their income and contributing to the overall stability and efficiency of the public service. The regulations provided a framework for adjusting salaries based on the weighted average retail price index number for the six State capital cities, which was published by the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.

Scope and Application

The Commonwealth Public Service Regulations, as amended, apply to all public service employees within the Commonwealth jurisdiction, governing the conditions of their employment, including their salaries. These regulations specifically address variations in salary based on changes in the cost of living, as reflected by the weighted average retail price index number for the six state capital cities. The salary adjustments are contingent on the index number for the six months ending on the thirty-first day of March or the thirtieth day of September in any year, with specific thresholds and corresponding salary reductions or increases depending on whether the index number falls below or rises above certain levels. Additionally, these regulations incorporate fixed annual increments to salaries, which are considered part of the total remuneration. These provisions are applicable nationally across Australia, with adjustments made accordingly to ensure the regulations remain relevant and effective in managing public service remuneration.

Key Provisions

The primary operative sections of this legislation (Regulation 106a) detail the variations in salaries for Commonwealth public servants based on changes in the cost of living, as measured by a weighted average retail price index number for the six State capital cities of the Commonwealth. This index number, referred to as the "index number" in the regulation, is to be used to determine whether salaries should be adjusted upwards or downwards. Salaries are adjusted when the index number falls below 81.7 or rises above 83.9, with additional adjustments made if the index number falls below 67.9 or rises above 97.7. These adjustments are made to the salaries outlined in regulations 104, 105, 105a, 105b and 106 of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations. Furthermore, certain fixed amounts are to be added to salaries after any variation has been made, and these amounts are considered part of the salary for all purposes. The obligations imposed by this legislation on public servants and the Public Service Board are primarily related to the calculation and adjustment of salaries. Public servants are entitled to salary adjustments based on changes in the cost of living as reflected in the index number, while the Public Service Board is responsible for calculating these adjustments and ensuring that they are implemented correctly and on time. The Board must also ensure that the index number is accurately determined and published by the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. There are no specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences mentioned for breaches of this legislation. However, failure to comply with the salary adjustment provisions could potentially result in legal challenges or disputes between public servants and the Public Service Board. It is important for all parties involved to adhere to the provisions of this regulation to ensure a fair and equitable system of salary adjustments based on changes in the cost of living.

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