Mr. Barltron
Detailed
comments
42.
IT ONGKONG SALARIES COMISSION 1947
J
In looking at this report I have not examined closely general questions and matters of principle, such as expatriation allowances, pensions, leave etc., but have looked as thorouy as possible at the two points which seem to me to be of particular interest to us, viz.:
(a) what effect if any the proposed re-grading of Government salaries and wages might have on those outside Government with consequent repercussions on "industrial relations
•
b) the proposed scales for Labour Office staff and their relation to other similar staff.
2 With regard to pant (a) it seems clear that the Commission bore this in mind and was satisfied that
imm many Govt. employees were underpaid in comparison with those outside Govt. particularly the lower grades with the excetion of the lowest of all (see pp 4/5, paras. 11-14 of their report and also pp 5 and 8 paras. 16 and 2 of the Governor's covering letter in which he refers to numerous strikes or threatened strikes).
3.
The Commission t erefore proposes considerable improvements to all basic salaries, to which a high cost of living allowance is to be added (as it is now), but the h.c.o.l.a. is to be scaled in such a way as to increase only those salaries which appear to be at present in total lower than those outside Govt. In many cases, although the increase in basic salary proposed is very considerable (even 200%), the total salary will rem in the same (see p. 67 para 190 of their report).
4.
There does not therefore appear to be any comment to make on paint (a).
5. ith regard to rpoint (b), it is necessary to explain that the Commission proposed dividing all Govt. staff into main groups to which certain model
ctd.
2