WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1977
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RATES OF LOCAL AND OVERSEAS OFFICERS LEAVE
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THE PRESENT RATES OF VACATION LEAVE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS ARE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 1971 SALARIES COMMISSION, THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE HON, ALAN SCOTT TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. T.S. LO ON OVERSEAS OFFICERS GETTING A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF VACATION LEAVE THAN LOCAL OFFICERS OF EQUIVALENT RANKS. MR. SCOTT SAID, THESE PRINCIPLES WERE ACCEPTED BY GOVERNMENT AFTER CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND THEY WERE EMBODIED IN CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS.
QUOTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, HE SAID, THE AIM HAD BEEN TO PROVIDE SIMILAR, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IDENTICAL, BENEFITS FOR ALL OFFICERS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE IS A CONTINUING NEED FOR OVERSEAS OFFICERS TO VISIT AND TO RENEW CONTACTS WITH THE LAND THAT IS THE IR HOME AND TO WHICH THEY WILL RETURN ON THEIR RETIREMENT. +
IN EXISTING CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WAS NO LONGER NECESSARY TO PROVIDE LONG PERIODS OF LEAVE FOR OVERSEAS OFFICERS TO ENABLE THEM TO RECUPERATE FROM THE EFFECTS OF AN ALIEN TROPICAL CLIMATE, HE EXPLAINED.
+THE NEEDS OF OVERSEAS AND LOCAL OFFICERS ARE THEREFORE DIFFERENT AND WE HAVE PRESERVED THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF DIFFERENT LEAVE RATES FOR THEM, HE SAID.
+THIS FOLLOWS THE GENERAL PRACTICE AMONG PRIVATE FIRMS IN HONG KONG AND WE RECOMMEND THAT IT SHOULD EQUALLY APPLY TO LOCAL OFFICERS SERVING OUTSIDE HONG KONG.
+FOR THAT REASON WE HAVE DIVIDED LEAVE IN TWO COMPONENTS BASIC LEAVE WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO ALL OFFICERS, AND AN OVERSEAS ADDITION APPLICABLE TO THOSE SERVING ABROAD, HE SAID.
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