CO129-600-2 Salaries Commission- proposed Public Services Commission 20-1-1948 - 1-3-1948 — Page 83

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matters are generally regarded as functions of the authority which determines the conditions of service, that is, of the employer, the Colonial Government. It seems doubtful whether a Public Services Commission composed as recommended in paragraph 175 could deal with such matters as effectively as a well organised and adequately

In this staffed Establishment Department. country and in many Colonies, the method adopted to achieve the object of maintaining confidence in the capacity of Government to deal satisfactorily with such matters is a system of ensultation between its representatives and representatives of Ass ciations of its officials, such as is afforded by the whitley Council system. If, pending the institution of Whitley Councils or some similar system of consultation in Hong Kong, it is considered that there may be some

ublic advantage in referring such matters to the Service Commission, I suggest that care should be taken to ensure what the reference of such matters to the Commission is conducted in such a manner as to avoid prejudice to the growth of a system of direct consultation between Government and representatives of its employees.

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As regards paragraph 173(v), the interpretation and application of conditions of service in individual cases, rather than as a matter of general practice would not normally be the concern of whitley Councils, and I should see no bjection to the Commission being used kɛ an «dvisory tribunal in such cases.

Moreover, in the course of its experience as the principal recruiting agency of Government, the Commission will no doubt, in curse of time, acquire a knowledge of the extent to which any existing conditions of service may detract from the attractiveness of Government service, and may be in a position to make useful recommendations to Government for the revision of such conditions,

(b)

Paragraph 172. I have two comments arising from the use of the word "all" in this paragraph.

Firstly, it will be the function of the Commission to make recommendations only for filling such vacancies as are remitted to it by Government. For a considera le time to come it will no doubt be necessary, by agreement between the Governor and the Secretary of State, for certain posts, or for a proportion of posts in certain classes, to be reserved

The number of posts so for overseas candidates.

reserved will, no doubt, progressively diminish.

In the second place, it would I think be

a mistake for the Commission to be overloaded by requiring it to undertake recruitment for an excessive number of minor grades, for which the existing arrangeme for departmental recruitment are no doubt adequate.

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