TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1986
PAY CLAIM FROM NON-DIRECTORATE STAFF
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THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY) ITS DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE SPECIAL PAY ADJUSTMENT OF 2.7 PER CENT WITH RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT FROM JANUARY 1, 1986 TO ALL NON-DIRECTORATE STAFF.
A REQUEST FOR THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THIS SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT, INVOLVING $122 MILLION FOR THE REST OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, WILL BE PUT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON MARCH 26. REVISED SALARIES WILL BE PAID AT THE END OF APRIL.
COMMENTING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR DAVID FORD, SAID, THE REACTIONS OF THE THREE CENTRAL CONSULTATIVE COUNCILS AS WELL AS THE REQUEST MADE BY THE 17-MEMBER DELEGATION OF THE JOINT CONFERENCE OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS YESTERDAY WERE CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNOR- IN-COUNCIL TODAY.
+NO NEW FACTS WERE PRODUCED BY THE STAFF WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY A FURTHER IMPROVEMENT TO THE OFFER MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT ON FEBRUARY 4. IT WAS THEREFORE DECIDED THAT THE AWARD OF 2.7 PER CENT BACKDATED TO JANUARY 1 SHOULD NOT BE VARIED.
+1 MUST STRESS AGAIN THAT THIS IS AN INTERIM MEASURE PENDING THE OUTCOME OF THE PAY LEVEL SURVEY FOR NON-DIRECTORATE STAFF IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR.
+ IN REACHING THIS DECISION THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN FULL ACCOUNT OF THE REPORT BY THE STANDING COMMISSION, STAFF REACTIONS AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST AS A WHOLE,+
MR FORD RECALLED THAT THE FINDINGS OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE LAST DECEMBER CONCLUDED THAT CIVIL SERVICE NON-DIRECTORATE SALARIES HAD LAGGED SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE PRIVATE SECTOR AT THE NON-DIRECTORATE LEVEL.
THE ESTIMATED DIFFERENCES WERE 2.7 PER CENT FOR THE UPPER PAY BAND, 0.36 PER CENT FOR THE MIDDLE PAY BAND AND 0.32 PER CENT FOR THE LOWER PAY BAND.
IN THE LIGHT OF THE STANDING COMMISSION'S ADVICE AND HAVING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE STAFF REACTIONS, THE GOVERNMENT MADE AN OFFER OF A TWO PER CENT ACROSS THE BOARD ADJUSTMENT WITH EFFECT FROM JANUARY 1, 1986. THIS WAS A PACKAGE SIX TIMES BETTER THAN THE STANDING COMMISSION'S FINDINGS IN TERMS OF VALUE TO OVER 94 PER CENT OF STAFF.
/IN THE