329
34
J
We have not seen our way to include Charge Allowances in the scales of salaries we have recommended because the increase would make the salaries unduly large; and have therefore left them to be drawn, if Government permits, by those to whom they are at present payable. But we strongly recommend that they should cease on promo- tion, transfer, or retirement, and that they should not be drawn by persons who are acting for officers now entitled to Charge Allowances.
(c) Overtime Allowances.
165. General Order No. 108 (1) makes the following provision regarding Over- seers in the Public Works Department (including Inspectors and Senior Inspectors of Works).
103 (1) Sunday and Holiday overtime allowances are payable to Overseers in the Public Works Department in cases of emergency at the rate of $8 a day, provided that the work is authorised to be done on these days by the Executive Engineer in Charge. No payment will be made in respect of occasional visits to works on such days nor in any case in which less than half a day's work is in- rolred".
166. Government has also approved the payment of Sunday and Holiday Work Allowances in the following cases :-
(i) Post Office -For 4 hours work on Sundays and Holidays, with half rates if under 4 hours, to the following officers :-
Superintendent of Mails
Assistant Superintendents of Mails Postal Clerks Classes I-IV
Postal Clerks Class V
Postal Clerks Class VI
Probationer Sorters
Inspector of Postmen
Launch Officers
Head Postmau
Postmen
Coolies
Mail Bag Coolies
Launch Crew (G.P.0.
and II)
$15
A
3
3
25 cents
(ii) Harbour Office:--At the same rates as in (i) to clerks who are required to attend on Sundays and Holidays with this difference, however, that the full allowance is paid for 2 hours duty and half rate if less than 2 hours.
(iii) Imports & Exports Department :-Also at the same rates as in (i) for clerks in attendance on Holidays but in this case, we understand, the duty performed extends for hours, from a.m. to 12 noon.
(iv) Medical Department :--Clerks required to attend on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Holidays are given allowances of $5 to $10 a month, the rate being based as in the Post Office on their class in the Junior Clerical Service. Dispensers are also granted $2 for each day's work on Sundays or holidays.
(v) Public Works Department :-Allowances at rates roughly equivalent to one day's pay, and in practice the same allowances as in the Post Office, are paid to Tele- graphists, Wireless Operators, and Messengers delivering Wireless messages who are re- quired to perform duty on Sundays and Holidays, and to the Dredger Master and Crew when called out for duty on these days.
The
(vi) Kowloon Canton Railway --Allowances at the same rates as in the Post Office are given to 2 clerks and 2 shroffs who attend on alternate Sundays and Holidays. clerks check the returns of tickets by each train which must be done daily and the shroffs meet the train bringing in cash from outstations at 9 a.m. in the morning and again in the evening.
35
167. With regard to Overtime Allowances generally we desire to emphasize that certain employment, such as in the Police Force, Imports and Exports Department, Prisons Department, Fire Brigade, Hospitals, Railway, etc., involves a full seven day week. There can be no closing down on any particular day either on Sundays or on Holi- days and arrangements should therefore, in our opinion, he made for allowing time off duty in turn rather than for the grant of overtime allowances,
168. We consider further that normally no Overtime Allowances should be paid to Senior Officers. The remuneration of public officers is fixed on the assumption that their whole time is at the disposal of the Government (Colonial Regulation No. 28), and we anticipate that no Senior Officer would claim extra payment for periods spent in fur- therance of the public interest beyond the strict limits of office hours.
169. While Subordinate Officers are included, equally with Senior Officers, under the Colonial Regulation mentioned above, we consider that it is only fair that some com- pensation should be given to them when they are required regularly to give up periods, which might be devoted to leisure, for the convenience of the public.
We consider that no payment should be made for attendance on Saturday after- noons, but for Sundays and Holidays we are of the opinion that allowances similar to those now granted in the Post Office should be paid.
170. These allowances are at present calculated roughly according to the salary limits of the officers concerned, and we consider that they should be placed definitely on this basis. We consider further that, in every case, a full period of 4 hours on duty should be required before the full allowance is payable; half rates only being granted if less than fhours work is required.
We suggest that these allowances should, in addition to those mentioned above, be paid in all other departments where attendance is required regularly on Sundays and Holidays, such as, for example, in the Magistracies which are exempted from the provi- sions of the Holidays Ordinance on certain days.
They might similarly be granted on special occasions where the work is authorised to be done on these days by an executive officer.
171. We recommend therefore that all orders and rules dealing with Overtime be repealed, subject to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 172 and 173 infra. and that in future Sunday and Holiday Work Allowances be granted to officers drawing salaries detailed below in accordance with the following scale :-
Salary.
Exceeding £600 or $6,000 per annum
£450 or $4,500 and not exceeding £600 or $6,000 £150 or $1,500
$1,100
450 360
Not exceeding $300
Allowance.
$10
5
£450 or $4,500
3
$1,500
2
$1,100 450
1
50 cents 25
172. Other Overtime Allowances are granted as follows:—
זי
(i) Overtime Allowances are also paid to Gardeners and Foresters in the Botani- cal & Forestry Department, at rates based on their substantive salaries plus good conduct allowances, for overtime beyond the normal day and for work on Sundays and Holidays.
We can find no justification for payment for overtime to this class of employee who must expect additional pressure of work at certain times, with slackness at others, due to the weather. We consider that overtime should be paid, on the same basis as in the case of Sunday and Holiday Work Allowances, only if these employees are called out for night work such as beating out forest fires, with the exception, of course, of Forest Guards for whom night patrols form part of their regular duty. We consider, also, that a call for work at night should entitle the employee to the full allowance whether the time on duty is long or short.
330
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.