WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1994
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STATEMENT ON COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY MOTION
* * * * *
SETTING
THE GOVERNMENT IS DISAPPOINTED THAT THE MOTION ON THE UP OF A COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY TO RESOLVE THE CIVIL SERVICE PAY DISPUTE WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID:
"THE GOVERNMENT HAS AN PAY AND THIS POLICY HAS BEEN YEARS.
ESTABLISHED POLICY FOR CIVIL SERVICE APPLIED CONSISTENTLY ALL THROUGH THE
AN INDEPENDENT AND
"EACH YBAR'S PAY ADJUSTMENT IS
SELF-CONTAINED EXERCISE.
"PLUSES OR MINUSES ARISING FROM PREVIOUS EXERCISES ARE NOT CARRIED FORWARD TO THE NEXT. WE THEREFORE SEE NO JUSTIFICATION FOR INDEPENDENT ARBITRATION ON THE PAY DISPUTE.
"THE ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD AT THE MOTION DEBATE HAVE BEEN MADE
TO US BEFORE AND ALL OF THEM HAD BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.
"NO NEW ARGUMENTS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD TODAY WHICH POINT TO A NEED TO REVIEW THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.
"THE POINT IS GOVERNMENT AND THE INQUIRY SHOULD NOT BE PUBLIC POLICY.
THAT, UNDER THE 1968 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL, A COMMITTEE OF ESTABLISHED ΤΟ CONSIDER MATTERS OF SETTLED
"THE METHOD OF ADJUSTING PAY IS SETTLED PUBLIC POLICY.
IT
THAT
"MOREOVER, EVEN IF A COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY WERE ESTABLISHED, IS WISHFUL THINKING ON THE PART OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS TO THINK THE TERMS OF REFERENCE COULD BE CONFINED TO CONSIDERING THE QUESTION OF THE ALLEGED SHORTFALL.
"THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE GREAT PRESSURE FROM OTHER QUARTERS TO REVIEW OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PAY ADJUSTMENT METHODOLOGY,
"THE RESULT WOULD BE TO OPEN UP ALL SORT OF CONTROVERSIES TO CREATE TREMENDOUS UNCERTAINTY ALL ROUND. THIS WOULD NOT BE IN PUBLIC INTEREST."
AND
THE
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