XN000022-1976-06-09 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1976

PAY INCREASES FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

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THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TODAY APPROVED SALARY INCREASES FOR CIVIL SERVANTS. FOR THOSE ON THE MASTER PAY SCALE, IN THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES AND MINOR STAFF, THE INCREASE WILL, BE APPROXIMATELY 13 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A RECOMMENDATION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DIRECTORATE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS ON THE DIRECTORATE SCALE WILL RECEIVE INCREASES RANGING FROM APPROXIMATELY 12-1/2 PER CENT TO 10 PER CENT.

THE INCREASES TAKE EFFECT FROM APRIL 1 THIS YEAR AND WILL BE PAID THIS MONTH. THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST OF THE

INCREASES IS $353 MILLION WHICH INCLUDES $101 MILLION FOR STAFF IN SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS.

COMMENTING ON THE EFFECT OF THIS INCREASED COST OF THE CIVIL SERVICE ON THE BUDGET FOR 1976-77, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD TAKEN THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INCREASE IN SALARIES INTO ACCOUNT WHEN PREPARING HIS BUDGET STATEMENT LAST FEBRUARY. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DID SAY, HOWEVER, THAT A FINAL VIEW ON WHAT COULD BE

· AFFORDED WOULD DEPEND TO SOME EXTENT ON THE TIMING OF THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY. ALL THE INDICATIONS NOW ARE, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED, THAT THE RECOVERY IS WELL UNDER WAY AND THAT THE BUDGET FORECASTS OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PUBLIC REVENUE WILL BE REALISED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THESE INCREASES WERE THE FIRST SINCE APRIL 1974 AND FOLLOWED LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH THE THREE MAIN STAFF ASSOCIATIONS REPRESENTED IN THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL. THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE SAID THAT GOVERNMENT GREATLY APPRECIATED THE RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBLE

ATTITUDE OF THE STAFF ASSOCIATIONS AND CIVIL SERVANTS DURING THESE DISCUSSIONS,

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY THAT CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES SHOULD FOLLOW THOSE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE INCREASES ARE BASED ON EVIDENCE OF PAY MOVEMENTS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE MAIN EVIDENCE OF PRIVATE SECTOR PAY MOVEMENTS WAS PROVIDED BY PAY

INVESTIGATION UNIT PAY TREND SURVEYS COVERING 68 COMPANIES. THE FIRST SHOWED THAT BETWEEN APRIL 1974 AND APRIL 1975 THERE WAS AN AVERAGE INCREASE IN PAY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF APPROXIMATELY 9 PER CENT AND A SECOND SURVEY INDICATED THAT BETWEEN APRIL 1975 AND APRIL 1976 THERE WAS AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 4 PER CENT.

THESE INCREASES MEAN THAT THE SALARY OF A CLERICAL ASSISTANT GOES UP FROM THE PRESENT $645 A MONTH TO $730 AT THE MINIMUM, AND FROM $1,340 A MONTH TO $1,515 A MONTH AT THE MAXIMUM. THE SALARY OF A SENIOR ENGINEER ON THE MAXIMUM OF THE SCALE WILL

INCREASE FROM $7,810 A MONTH TO $8,800 A MONTH.

THE PAY OF AN UNSKILLED LABOURER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCALE WILL INCREASE FROM THE PRESENT $745 A MONTH PLUS $60 COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE TO $840 A MONTH. THE COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE IS INCLUDED IN THE REVISED RATE FOR MINOR STAFF.

THE MINIMUM SALARY OF A POLICE CONSTABLE GOES UP FROM THE PRESENT $1,090 A MONTH TO $1,230 A MONTH. A STATION SERGEANT ON THE MAXIMUM GOES FROM $2,365 A MONTH TO $2,675 A MONTH.

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