Mr. Cox
RESTRICTED
HKA 233/1
ра
My Store
CORY
577
Mr. Goodlad's Meeting with
the HMOCS Association
in Hong Kong on 7 September
I attach a note of the names of those who
attended on the HMOCS side.
2.
Mr. Goodlad spoke to the brief, emphasising that further discussions were taking place between Departments in Whitehall and that he hoped it would be possible to arrange further consultations with the Association possibly later in September, or more likely during the autumn. Mr. Goodlad also referred to the system now in place for making available to HMOCS officers in Hong Kong information on job opportunities in other dependent territories.
3.
Mr. Birch said that following the Minister's meeting with representatives of the Association in May, there had been some easing of pressure from the membership. The extension of the deadline for civil servants to convert to the new pension scheme had also helped. But recently there had been renewed evidence of concern. This was partly because of the lapse of time and the failure of HMG to produce new proposals. The fall in the value of the Hong Kong Dollar had also eroded the Sterling value of existing pensions. This had brought the problem back into focus.
4.
Mr. Birch said that the new HMOCS Association Committee had to be formed before the end of the year. The call for nominations for the new Committee would need to issue before 15 October. Unless the present Committee could go to the membership with positive news very soon, the elections were likely to produce a wholly new Committee for next year. This would reflect the increased frustration of the members. Mr. Birch pressed for a more specific indication of the timing for the next round of consultations.
RESTRICTED