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Friday, November 30, 1973
ALLOWANCE FOR 50,000 CIVIL SERVANTS
Some 50,000 civil servants on the master pay scale and the
disciplined scales will receive an allowance from December 1.
The allowance in the male scale range from $75 a month to
$200 a month and will be included in the December pay packets. They will
not be back-dated. Apprentices will receive between $35 and $75 a month.
The allowance extends to officers on salaries up to approximately
$4,000 a month. It does not apply to staff on the MOD 1 scale, mainly
labourers and skilled tradesmen, who already receive $75 a month cost of
living allowance under the scheme which provides a changing allowance
relating to Consumer Price Index movements.
A Government spokesman said today that the decision was made
because of the difficulties experienced by staff in the lower income
groups who had been most affected by the rise in the cost of living since
April. It also recognises the movement of pay rates in the private sector.
Consideration is also being given to increasing pensions for
similar reasons.
The allowance was approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative
Council at its meeting yesterday (Thursday),
The spokesman emphasised that government's policy in reviewing
pay and allowances takes into account changes in private sector pay rates
and cost of living movements.
current
The cost of this allowance for the remaining four months of the
financial year will be about $25 million.
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