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CONSIDERATION TO EXTENDING THIS OPTION, ALTHOUGH IT WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES WITH THOSE OFFICERS WHO HAVE ALREADY
OPTED.
6.
WE ARE NOT UNDER QUITE THE SAME PRESSURE TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR CONVERSION TO PENSIONABLE TERMS. BUT WE FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO DO THIS UNLESS WE WERE IN A POSITION BEFORE 30 JUNE TO GIVE A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROPOSED COMPENSATION SCHEME. THIS IS BECAUSE:
(A)
(B)
(C)
LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE GCS WOULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE MIGHT EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR CONVERTING TO THE NEW PENSION SCHEME: AND
LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE GCS WOULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE MIGHT EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR CONVERTING TO THE NEW PENSION SCHEME:
AND
SOME CONTRACT OFFICERS MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO OPT FOR PENSIONABLE TERMS IN THEIR EXPECTATION OF A ''TRADITIONAL'' GCS (WHICH WE KNOW IS NOT LIKELY TO BE ON OFFER.) CONSEQUENTLY THE NUMBER OF THOSE
OPTING MIGHT BE ARTIFICIALLY INCREASED AND SOME OF THOSE OPTING WOULD CLAIM THAT THEY HAD BEEN MISLED IN DOING SO.
7. WE DO NOT SEE PROVIDING SPECIAL CONTRACT TERMS FOR ONE PARTICULAR GROUP OF EXPATRIATE POLICE OFFICERS AS A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THE HKG COULD NOT HELP IN PROVIDING SPECIAL TERMS FOR ONE GROUP FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT WE CANNOT HELP IN PROVIDING SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF HMOCS. IT WOULD BE OPEN TO HMG TO PROVIDE SUCH TERMS, SAY IN THE FORM OF AN INCREASED GRATUITY IN RELATION TO LENGTH OF SERVICE, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS. BUT OFFERING SUCH TERMS TO ONE GROUP OF CONTRACT OFFICERS WOULD BE HIGHLY DIVISIVE: BOTH WITHIN THE POLICE, WHERE NOT ALL CONTRACT OFFICERS HAVE AN ENTITLEMENT TO CONVERT TO LOCAL TERMS, AND WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE GENERALLY WHERE THERE ARE OTHER OVERSEAS CONTRACT OFFICERS WHO COULD JUSTIFIABLY CLAIM THAT THEIR SERVICES WERE VALUABLE TO THE HKG. THE INTRODUCTION OF SUCH A SCHEME WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY PLACE YOU UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALL OVERSEAS CONTRACT OFFICERS AND COULD OPEN A PANDORA'S BOX OF OTHER CLAIMS: FOR COMPENSATION FOR THOSE OFFICERS ON THE NEW TERMS WHOSE CONTRACTS ARE NOT RENEWED TO
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