XN000022-1979-12-17 — Page 2

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1979

FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTING SALARIES COMMISSION'S

PROPOSALS APPROVED

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A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (MONDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STANDING SALARIES COMMISSION'S GENERAL PROPOSALS - CONTAINED IN THEIR FIRST REPORT ON CIVIL SERVICE PAY (REPORT NO. 2) FOR A REVISED MASTER PAY SCALE, MODEL 1 PAY SCALE, DISCIPLINED SERVICES PAY SCALES, AND APPRENTICE PAY SCALES TOGETHER WITH THEIR DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS ON SALARY SCALES FOR INDIVIDUAL RANKS.

THE APPROVAL WAS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN LATE NOVEMBER THAT THE REPORT HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF NECESSARY FUNDS BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. THE REVISED PAY SCALES WILL BE BACK-DATED TO OCTOBER 1 THIS YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT DETAILS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPORT WOULD SHORTLY BE ANNOUNCED TO THE SERVICE IN A CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH CIRCULAR, AND THAT THE MAIN CHANGES WOULD BE REFLECTED IN PAY PACKETS BY CHINESE NEW YEAR.

THE TOTAL COST OF THE INCREASES INCLUDING GRANTS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL AND SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS IS ESTIMATED AT OVER $250 MILLION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, OF WHICH $163 MILLION IS IN RESPECT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOUND JOBS

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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE HELPED 19 207 JOB-SEEKERS, INCLUDING 197 UNIVERSITY AND POST-SECONDARY COLLEGE GRADUATES, OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT DURING THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL JOB PLACEMENTS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 44 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR

·LABOUR, MR. J.N. HENDERSON, AT THE OPENING OF THE SERVICE'S NEW BRANCH OFFICE AT 67-69 TAI HO ROAD, TSUEN WAN.

THE SERVICE, HE SAID, OPERATES FROM 13 OFFICES LOCATED IN THE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

ITS PERFORMANCE HAD IMPROVED CONSIDERABLY SINCE A FACSIMILE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN JULY LAST YEAR TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT AND SPEEDY MEANS OF DISSEMINATING VACANCY INFORMATION AMONG THE BRANCH OFFICES.

MR. HENDERSON POINTED OUT THAT THE WORK OF THE SERVICE WAS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW TO ENSURE THAT ANY IMPROVEMENT OR EXPANSION OF ITS SERVICES WAS GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, JOB-SEEKERS AND THE ECONOMY AT LARGE.

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