Mr. J. L. BOWMAN (Dauphin) presented the fourth report of the select special committee on the Civil Service Act, as follows:
House of Commons,
Monday, June 25, 1934.
Fourth Report:
The select special committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the administration and operation of the Civil Service Act as amended, with instructions to inquire into
and report concerning the repeal or amendment of any of the provisions of the said act or the substitution therefor or addition thereto of other provisions as the committee may deem advisable, begs leave to present the following as its fourth report:
(1) Representations have been made to your committee urging that certain temporary employees who have for long periods been occupying positions of a permanent nature should now be accorded permanent status.
Your committee find that by orders in council, P.C. 2958, dated the 16th day of December, 1920, and P.C. 3895, dated October 22, 1921, passed pursuant to the Civil Service Amendment Act, October, 1919, 4060 temporary employees who had been continuously employed in positions of a permanent character since November 10, 1919 (the date on which the Civil Service Act became law) were, during the period 1920-27, given permanent status. In 1927, however, the enabling orders in council were rescinded. The representations which have been made to your committee urge that any other temporary employees (approximately 300 in number) who were eligible to benefit under this section of the act and the said orders in council but whose permanency was not at the time effected should now be granted permanent status, in order that they may enjoy the benefits attached thereto. These benefits include the right to contribute to the Civil Service Superannuation Act, the right to receive statutory increases when these are again allowed, the right to compete for promotions when promotions are again authorized, and the right to receive retiring leave on separation from the service. A large number of the employees in question have already been permitted to contribute to the Civil Service Superannuation Act, so that the additional burden on that fund will be small, and as all statutory increases and the great majority of promotions are at present prohibited, there will be little, if any, additional^ cost in this connection nor in connection with the question of compensation, as employees will continue to receive the salaries which they are now paid.
Your committee believes that there is justification for the granting of permanent status to the employees in question, and recommends that the civil service commission be instructed to prepare the necessary regulations for submission to the governor in council to give effect thereto.
(2) Representations have also been made to your committee that permanent status should be conferred upon the staff of the soldier settlement board, which has since 1918 been operating almost entirely on a temporary basis.
It is represented that as a result 01 reorganization the staff has now reached a permanent basis, having been reduced from a peak figure of 1,595 to a present figure of 343. The great majority of the members of the staff are returned soldiers and have been employed continuously for long periods of service-in many cases up to fifteen years. Your committee finds that in 1928 action in this respect was taken in connection with the staff of the Department of Soldiers Civil Reestablishment. #
Your committee is of opinion that the action requested is in the public interest, and recommends that the Soldier Settlement Act be amended to provide that: