41
· 33 ·
77.
The scale recommended for grado II artisans overlaps that for grado I in order to provide a reasonable number of annual increments for grade II artisans. In certain casos whore we have considered it desirable to have a through scale wo have arranged for promotion bars at various points in those scalos. In the Post Office, for example, we recommend that third class postmen should start at tho boginning of the semi-skilled grade at 768 and continue to & 912 por annum; second class postmen rise from $936 per annum to
1152 por annum and first class postmon start at $ 1200 and continue to $1344 per annum. In other cases it has also boon found necessary to depart slightly from the minima and maxima of the gonoral scales for minor staff and artisans.
78,
We have experienced considerable difficulty in assessing salaries for foremen owing to the inconsistent use of titles by different departments. Wo consider that pa ticular attention should be paid in future to the nomenclature of posts and grades which are common to a number of departments and that a common standard should be adopted whore practicable. A senior foroman in a small department may have loss responsibility and less mon under him then a junior foruman in a larger depa. tmont. We recommend that there should be three grades of foremon throughout the service and suggest as an approximate common standard that a grade III foreman should be ono in charge of not less than twenty mon, a grado II foromen one in charge of fifty mon, and a grade I foremon of one hundred. This grading might bo veriod where a foremen is expected to exorcise supervision over a large district or over a large number of small gangs of mon, or where a high dogroo of technical skill is required in addition to supervision. In addition we have provided for a higher supervisory grade of overseers.
79.
We have suggested in the notes to Appendix IV that foremen should be regradod and given now titles according to the standard described above. We have also plicd the scales for foremen to certain other officers who, although they do little or no supervisory work, apponr to us to have greater responsibilities than those of a grade I artisan.
Storckconers and Storemen.
80.
We have found considerable variation in the pay and the titles of storckcopers, stowards and storomon. Wc
consider that there should be a single endre of storekeepers and stores staff undor the general supervision and control of the Controller of Stores. In our opinion, those officers should receive their initial training in tho Stores Department and should be posted to other departments as necessary. Wo recommend that entry should be by competitive examination
open to candidates m have obtained the Hong Kong School Leaving Certificate. Wo hovo divided storekcopers into three grades according to their degree of responsibility and have suggested now titles cresponding to this grading in the notes to Appendix 1V.
General Clerical Servico,
81.
We have received representations from members of the Junior Clorical Service in pogrd to the multiplicity of classes and the slowness of promotion