XN000022-1980-07-09 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1980

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GOVT PAY SCALES RESTRUCTURED

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED PROPOSALS FOR A RESTRUCTURING OF THE UPPER ENDS OF THE MASTER AND DISCIPLINED SERVICES (OFFICER) PAY SCALES, AND THE DIRECTORATE PAY SCALE.

ANNOUNCING THE DETAILS TODAY (WEDNESDAY), A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE MOVE WAS NECESSARY TO CORRECT AN EROSION OVER THE YEARS IN PAY DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE STAFF THEY SUPERVISED.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO APPROVED PROPOSALS RELATING TO THE PAY STRUCTURE OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION.

THE CHANGES, EXCEPT FOR THOSE TO THE DIRECTORATE PAY SCALE, WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.

TO AVOID MOVING TOO CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DIRECTORATE SCALE, THE STANDING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED IN OCTOBER 1979 AN INTERIM INCREASE OF ONLY 3.7 PER CENT FOR THE TOP OF THE MASTER PAY SCALE.

AT THE SAME TIME, IT STATED THAT IT WISHED TO TAKE A FURTHER LOOK AT THE UPPER END OF THE SCALE WHEN THE REVISED DIRECTORATE PAY LEVELS WERE KNOWN.

IT HAS SINCE FOUND THAT THE EXISTING LEVELS OF PAY FOR SENIOR PROFESSIONALS AND RELATED GRADES ARE INADEQUATE, AND THAT THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF EXPERIENCED CIVIL SERVANTS AND HAS PLACED A STRAIN ON MANAGEMENT IN ITS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT PUBLIC SERVICE.

THE STANDING COMMISSION HAS CONCLUDED THAT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE FROM BEING SERIOUSLY WEAKENED ACTION IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY ARE ADEQUATELY REFLECTED IN PAY.

THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR THE COMPRESSION OF PAY DIFFERENTIALS IS THAT ALL ADJUSTMENTS TO PAY SCALES SINCE 1971 HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE EXISTING FRAMEWORK OF THE 48-POINT MASTER PAY SCALE, WITH LOWER RANKS RECEIVING LARGER INCREASES IN PERCENTAGE TERMS THAN HIGHER RANKS.

TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE STANDING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO EXTEND THE TOP OF THE MASTER PAY SCALE BY THREE POINTS AND TO ADJUST EXISTING RANK SCALES ON POINT 42 AND UPWARDS.

AN OFFICER MOVING UP THE SCALE WILL IN FUTURE BE ABLE TO ATTAIN A MAXIMUM SALARY OF $13 000 AT THE NEW CEILING OF POINT 51, COMPARED WITH $11 200 ON THE OLD POINT 48. BUT NO SERVING OFFICER WILL MOVE TO THE NEW MAXIMUM POINT OF 51 IMMEDIATELY.

THE REVISIONS WILL ALSO APPLY TO EQUIVALENT POINTS ON THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES (OFFICER) PAY SCALE.

/DURING THE