CO129-599-5 Salaries Commission- Appendices to Report 1-1-1947 - 31-12-1949 — Page 10

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grievances would be reviewed by a Salaries Commission.

Later he confirmed in

writing that "it is the intention of Government to arrange if possible for the

rates of pay recommended by the Salaries Commission to be introduced with

retrospective effect, so that the increases may be paid to all employees who have

been in service from October 1st, 1946, with effect from that dete". Again in

March, 1947, all members of the staff of the Mcdical Department Dispensaries tendered

their resignations, and were induced to withdraw them only by a promise in similar

tems made by the Director of Medical Services. I would also refer to Sir Mark

Young's confidential despatch of the 18th August, 1946, in which a strike of the

Fire Brigade staff was mentioned. It appo..rs that the then Commissioner of Police

on the 22nd July induced the floating stuff to return to duty by informing them

that although it would not be possible at once to revise their salarics, because

of possible repercussions on the floating staff of other departments, any subsequent

revision of salaries and allowances would be effective as from the following day,

July 23rd, provided they resumed duty on that day. In view of these undertakings, I

an bound to urge that the recommendations of the Commission should be made effective

as from the 1st October, 1946, rather than the 1st January, 1947, and I feel that

additional grounds for this more generous treatment are to be found in the fact that

the recommendations of the committee appointed to consider the grant of Temporary

Additional Allowances (your telegram No. 1279 of 20th November, 1946) were imple-

mented with effect from the 1st October, 1946,,and certain promotions from the renks

of the Chinese Nursing Staff and Chinese Health Inspectorate to vacancies, in the

so called European establishment of Nursing Sisters and Health Inspectors, were

mado with effect from the same date. I might add that it is possible that the slight

increase, in the immediate benefit which will accrue to those drawing a larger sum

in back pay by reason of this proposal, may to some extent allay the disappointment

which is sure to result when the modest proposals of the Commission are made known.

17.

The Commission's scheme for conversion from the old to the now rates

of pay seems reasonable on the whole, and any less favourable rules would hardly

produce sufficient immediate benefit to officers. I understand that, though the

suggested rules are stated in general terms, the Commission gave considerable study

to their practical application in specific grades, with a view to ascertaining

whether any marked anomalies would result and that it concluded that the rules

would be workable. It is here, of course, that the most difficult immediate task

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