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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
APPENDIX III
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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Appendix III-Contd.
布政司署
下亞畢道
OUR REF.: CR9/4406/73
YOUR REF.:
Dear Mr. CHAN,
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG
14th May, 1974.
The South China Morning Post this morning reported that you would ask the Colonial Secretariat why the Hawker Control Force was not included in the pay reviews recently announced for the Fire, Ambulance, Prisons and Preventive Services. Perhaps you didn't see the letter published on the 11th May in the same paper?-a copy is attached for your convenience, of that letter and of the Editorial to which it refers.
2.
I am as keen as you are to maintain fair pay rates for all groups of the civil service, but we cannot do absolutely everything at once!
The main Staff Associations (who understand what is happening) and I have much difficulty in making clear to all the members of this large civil service that (a) during the specified period of two years all groups of the service are being separately examined with great care (at management's initiative) to ensure that each group is fairly placed relative to other groups; and (b) this is a separate matter from any pay claims made by the Staff Associations on general grounds including changes in the cost of living. Pay claims on general grounds continue to be dealt with as before.
Peter C. K. CHAN, Esq.,
805A Melbourne Plaza, Hong Kong.
Encl.
Yours sincerely,
A. J. SCOTT,
Secretary for the Civil Service.
New pay scales for disciplined services
Following the review of public salaries last year resulting in a substantial increase in basic scales, it was only a matter of time before other branches of the disciplined services were awarded theirs.
If there is some initial disappointment that the lot of a fireman, prisons officer and preventive service officer is not considered as onerous or carrying the same degree of responsibility as that of a policeman, the Government has gone a long way towards fixing their realistic scales both in relation to other branches of the public service and to wage levels generally.
And with take-home pay now starting at just $25 short of $1,000 (including shift and cost of living allowances) this should prove an attractive remuneration and at the same time an incentive to recruitment.
It is, of course, difficult to assess the degree of hazard in the duties of a fireman and prisons officer compared with that of a policeman; all expose themselves to danger of some kind in the course of their duties and indeed the same may be said of the preventive officer.
There are, however, differing degrees of danger in each case and the incidence of crime and aggressive and dangerous criminals on the streets is clearly more serious than the incidence of major fires, and the hazards are therefore greater.
If this were the only factor involved it might be difficult to justify a disparity of $100 in relative scales.
However, the Police Force today expects a good deal more of its recruits not only in education standards but in ability to deal with instant problems and emergencies, very often without supervision and direction from senior officers, and there can be no doubt that this potential responsibility is greater and more demanding.
Hong Kong however has recognised that it must pay fair and fitting salaries to all of its disciplined services if it hopes to maintain high standards in its fire brigade, ambulances, prisons and preventive service.
Most will agree that the additional $12 million, though a large figure compared with the surplus we are budgeting for this year, will be well spent.
Indications yesterday suggest that most of the rank and file appeared pleased with the 33 per cent increase and this should be reflected in their attitude to work, which in the case of some firemen has been overshadowed in recent weeks by impatience over the Government's delay in announcing the scales.
It would help in future if all branches of the disciplined services were considered together, not necessarily to achieve uniformity in salaries, but to avoid delays in announcing new pay scales.
Finally, if the Hawker Control Force and Immigration Assistants have not been omitted, why could not their salaries have been considered at the same time?
C.S. 41A
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