Evening star., 1952-02-08

ings will begin around the last
week Of this month.
The overtime bill was approved
by the committee last year but
was recommitted last month be-
cause there we're some objections
from immigration and custom in
spectors' employe unions that the
super premium holiday benefits OF
their members would be reduced.
Rather than incur opposition on
the Senate floor, it was decided to
recommit the bill and drop the
immigration and customs in
spectors from the bill. If possible.
The Governments classified en-
ployes would get a substantial In
crease in overtime payments un-
der the bill. At present, only
|employes earning less than $4,000
a year receive time-and-a-half
for work in excess Of 40 hours a
week. Those making more than
|$2, 900 a year receive q dwindling
rate of overtime that in the mid
|dle and higher brackets amounts
to less than straight time.
The committees bill would pro-
vide me-and-a-half overtime to
IemployeS earning up to $3.50 a
year. And employees whose sal
aries are higher than that would
Iget time-and-a-half overtime
based on the first $3.50 Of their
Ipay.
The hearings on increasing
Federal retirement annuities will
mot center on any one bill intro
duced in Congress. although there
have been quite a few with vary
ling amounts provided for. The
committee will decide after the
hearings are concluded Just what
the amount Of the increase should
be.
It's considered certain that the
committee will approve both the
Overtime and the annuity increase
Legislation.
PROBATIONARY Ell
NITES-The Civil Service Com
mission yesterday officially asked
the Federal Personnel Council fol
its reaction to the commission's
proposed plan to give many thou
sands Of temporary indefinite
employees hired during the last II
months a chance to obtain perma-
lnent status eventually.
The details OF the commission's
plan were disclosed exclusively in
this column several months ago.
Briefly, the proposal would give
those temporary indefinites (all
workers hired since December !.
1850, have been denied perma-
nent appointments) a probation
Iary indefinite status. Then, when
the time comes again for the Gov
ernment to convert to o peace
time hiring basis, these employees
would be given permanent status
without having to take any further
exams. They also would have job
retention rights over temporary
indefinite workers who did not
pass civil service exams in order
to get their jobs.
The new probationary indefi-
mite appointments would be given
to employees who have passed civil
service exams since December /,
1850, as well as to those who join
the Government in the future
through qualifying exams.
The Federal Personnel Council,
which Is the official advisory unit
to the commission, referred the
plan to its Employment Commit
tee. The council is expected to
approve the plan. Then the COM
mission will put the new pro-
gram into effect.
4 + Il
SIZABLE FORCE-The legis-
lation to transfer authority to the
Civil Service Commission to con-
duct the loyalty checks in 16 Fed
leral activities now done by the
IFBI would mean the addition of
t2.200 new Investigators in the
commission.
The Senate already has ap-
proved the bill. The House Civil
Service Committee will meet on
tire measure on February 26. The
committee is expected to approve
the bill at that time, although
there has been a lot Of criticism
among Republican members about
1.-THE 1900 new investigatiVe jobs
THAT would be created at a cost
of nearly SO million a year.
4 r 4
BROADCAST-An up to the
minute survey of pending legisla-