XN000022-1972-08-03 — Page 11

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Thursday, August 3, 1972

1971 SALARIES COMMISSION MAY CONSIDER TEACHERS PAY ISSUE

The Government will consider inviting some members of the 1971

Salaries Commission to re-assemble in Hong Kong to give their advice and

independent views on the dispute over the salary scale for Certificated

over

Masters.

This was announced tonight after a meeting of the Senior Civil

Service Council had failed to resolve the deadlock over this issue.

The Council met this afternoon to discuse the proposed new structure

and salaries for teachers.

The Council had previously reached agreement on all major outstanding

issues except the salary scale for Certificated Masters. However, the Staff

Side of the Council still rejected the Official Side's offer of a Certificated

Masters' scale of $1,175 to $1,750 per month. This offer represented an

average twelve per cent increase over the present scale of $1,044 to

$1,598 per month for Certificated Masters. As an alternative to this scale the Government offered to implement now a scale of $1,100 to $1,750

per month and to seek advice on it from some members of the Salaries

Commission. This offer has also been rejected.

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:

A Government spokesman said: "Because deadlock has now been reached

on this particular matter, it is considered that, to be fair to the teachers,

independent advice should be obtained from the people who reviewed salaries

of the remainder of the public service. The Government therefore will

consider inviting members of the 1971 Salaries Commission to re-assemble so

that their advice can be sought on the Certificated Masters' scale having

regard to the best interests of the teaching profession as a whole.

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