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Despite extensive research Government could find no grounds for a further adjustment to the Shorthand/Audio Typist pay scale beyond the two increments at the maximum which Government had agreed.
Mrs. Cheung referred to the responsibilities of Shorthand/
Audio Typists. She said that all Shorthand/Audio Typists were security checked before appointment which meant that their responsibilities vere very important. Their workload and responsibilities had become progressively heavier. Why had there been a "drop" in may ? The P.I.U. Roport had shown that S...s had been underpaid all along. A
Miss V. So said that 3.A.T.s were "only receiving 75% of their salaries under the equal pay scheme in common with the rest of the Secretarial Class simply because there had been no male counterparts. She said that in the private sector "out of a few stenographers there was at least one given the chance of promotion to Personal Secretary after two years' service while in Government Shorthand/Audio Typists had to compete with hundreds for few vacancies after five years' serviço“.
V. Letter of option
Mrs. Cheung and members of the Staff Side asked
(a) whether an officer who did not return her option
form and remained on her present terms of service would be entitled to pay increases in the future, end,
(b) why Government would not suspend restructuring pending
a negotiated settlement.
The Chairman said in reply,
(a) officers who did not opt for admission to the restructured
ranks would remain in their existing ranks on their existing terms. Any general pay increases approved by Government for the whole of the Civil Service would apply to all officers whether in restructured or old ranks, but any future changes to structure involving pay would apply only to restructured ranks; the positions of Confidential Assistants I and Fersonal Secretaries I would be safeguarded in any future changes to pay and structure for their grades, and,
(b) there would have been disadvantages to most serving
officers in suspending restructuring. Surplus posts arising from the Organisation & Hethods survey would in any case have had to be deleted. Government's position was that following proposals for change there should be adequate time for consultation but if after an adequate period total agreement could not be reached then Government would go ahead with its proposals, as modififed in respect of such agreements in certain areas as had been reached.