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C.S. 20A (Rev.)
CONFIDENTIAL
SAVING DESPATCH
From the Governor, Hong Kong
To the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Repeated to:-
Repeated to:-
16th December, 1969
Date.
My Reference.
PR 60/4518/68 (TC 196/68)
Your Reference
76) HK
No. 1.3.79
No.
No.
14/2/11
Petition from the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants Association on the
subject of Equal Pay for Women
In accordance with the provisions of C.R. 72 I forward herewith a petition to Her Majesty the Queen from the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants Association on the subject of equal pay for women employees of the Hong Kong Government, together with the following report on the matter.
2.
As you are aware, the Hong Kong Government accepted in principle some three years ago that, in so far as the Public Service is concerned, where men and women are doing identical work, or similar work of virtually equal value, both should be paid the same salary and that this objective should be realised in accordance with a phased programme extending over a reasonable period of time which should not exceed ten years. It also accepted in principle that the bar to the appointment of married women on normal contract or pensionable terms should be withdrawn.
3.
However, acceptance of the principle relating to equal pay was subject to a detailed examination of all the grades in which there were women serving in the Public Service to determine how appropriately they were graded in relation to corresponding male grades. This examination was not a task which could be completed in a short period, but in September 1968 the stage was reached at which it was possible to obtain Executive Council's approval for a scheme for achieving parity of pay for women by annual stages starting on 1st April 1969 and reaching completion on 1st April 1975, to be discussed with the Staff Associations.
4.
This scheme provided for the inclusion of some 4,400 women in 86 grades, out of an overall total of about 11,500 women in the Public Service at that time, and for the exclusion of some 1,900 women in 18 grades. It also provided for the deferment of some 5,200 women in 39 grades for further examination. This latter group comprised mainly teachers, nurses and related grades, two af which grades have subsequently been included in the scheme. The
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51
- 5 JAN 1970
HKX 5/26
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