5. The Government do not accept the Association's criticisms, other than very minor ones, of the PIU: unlike the Hong Kong Productivity Centre's "Report on Salary Trends", the PIU's surveys are tailored to the particular circumstances of the Government and the markers used are carefully selected to represent comparable staff in comparable work. take full account of all matters relevant to total remuneration,
including non-cash fringe benefits such as pension rights. The Unit is independent and impartial
-
The surveys
its procedures are very similar to those of the Pay Research Unit in the United
Kingdom.
6. On promotion prospects, the Government point out that the shorthand and audio-typists are eligible for promotion to the rank of Personal Secretary, and to the newly created posts of Supervisor of Typing Services. The fact that promotion prospects are at present limited because of the large number of redundant Personal Secretaries resulting from the reorganisation is a temporary phenomenon, which the Government estimate will largely disappear by the end of 1978.
7. Because of their failure to make progress in Hong Kong, SATA have been waging a campaign to gain support in this country. Mrs Cheung, the Chairman of SATA accompanied by the Vice-Chairman, Miss So, visited this country in January to present their case. They have enlisted the support of four trade unions in the public sector, NUPE, ASTMS, CPSA and NALGO, officials in the International Departments of the TUC and Labour Party and some 14 Labour MPs, as well as having had a mention in the "Financial Times" and an interview in the
"Labour Weekly".
THE TURNER REPORT ON LABOUR RELATIONS
8. In April 1975 the Secretary of State met members of the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC), who were critical of the state of labour relations in Hong Kong. As a result, after discussion involving the TUC, CBI, NEC and Hong Kong, Professor HA Turner (Burton Professor of Industrial Relations at Cambridge) who had previous experience of overseas assignments, was commissioned in June 1976 to carry out an independent study.
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