XN000022-1979-01-17 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1979

SIR Y.K. KAN APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF NEW STANDING COMMISSION ON

CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE HAS APPOINTED SIR Y.K. KAN, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.

THE INTENTION TO SET UP THE COMMISSION WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 16 LAST YEAR BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR MARTIN ROWLANDS.

BESIDES THE CHAIRMAN THERE ARE EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. THEY ARE THE HON. S.L. CHEN, THE REV. THE HON. PATRICK MCGOVERN, MRS. GRACE HO, MR. GORDON M. MACWHINNIE, MR. GALLANT HO YIU-TAI, MR. JOHN L. SOONG, MR. F.L. WALKER AND MRS. MAISIE WONG CHAN SHIN-U.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ALSO ANNOUNCED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE APPOINTMENT OF MR P.B. WILLIAMS TO BE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COMMISSION, MR WILLIAMS RETIRED AS COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR LAST YEAR AFTER 25 YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN HONG KONG, HE WILL ARRIVE IN HONG KONG TOMORROW (THURSDAY). HE WILL BE ASSISTED BY A FULL-TIME STAFF, SOME OF WHOM HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPOINTED.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO SAID THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION HAD NOW BEEN APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AFTER TAKING INTO ACCOUNT A NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE STAFF SIDE OF THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL, VARIOUS INDIVIDUAL GRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS.

TO ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN CARRYING OUT ITS WORK, THE CHAIRMAN HAS BEEN EMPOWERED TO CO-OPT ADDITIONAL PERSONS TO SERVE ON SUB-COMMITTEES. THIS WILL ENABLE THE COMMISSION TO OBTA IN THE HELP OF EXPERTS IN PARTICULAR AREAS OF ITS WORK.

COMMENTING ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMISSION, MR ROWLANDS SAID: THE COMMISSION IS EXPECTED TO START WORK VERY SHORTLY AND ALL OUTSTANDING NEGOTIATIONS ON PAY AND STRUCTURE MATTERS WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMISSION FOR ADVICE.+

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