XN000022-1980-12-04 — Page 2

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1980

BETTER DEAL FOR JUNIOR STAFF AND WOMAN OFFICERS

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED A NEW PAY SCALE FOR JUNIOR CIVIL SERVANTS ON MODEL SCALE 1 WHICH PROVIDES LARGER INCREMENTS. ONE EFFECT IS THAT EMPLOYEES AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SCALE WILL RECEIVE INCREMENTS ANNUALLY INSTEAD OF ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS AS AT PRESENT.

THE RECOMMENDATION IS ONE OF A NUMBER CONTAINED IN THE FIFTH REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, PUBLISHED TODAY. THE REPORT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECTING A LARGE NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS. IT DEALS MAINLY WITH GRADES WHOSE REVIEWS WERE OUTSTANDING FROM THE STANDING COMMISSION'S SECOND REPORT.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT, EXCEPT FOR THOSE CONCERNING FRINGE BENEFITS FOR MARRIED FEMALE STAFF.

IN ITS LATEST REVIEW OF MODEL SCALE 1 STAFF, THE STANDING COMMISSION CONSIDERED THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF STAFF ON THIS SCALE AND THOSE ON THE MASTER PAY SCALE. IT CONCLUDED THAT MODEL SCALE 1 EMPLOYEES SHOULD REMAIN AS A SEPARATE GROUP WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE FOR THE TIME BEING, BUT THAT CERTAIN

IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE.

ANOTHER MAJOR GROUP REVIEWED IN THE REPORT IS THE EDUCATION

GRADES.

THE STANDING COMMISSION BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A CONTINUING NEED FOR FOUR SEPARATE STREAMS WITHIN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THAT IS TO SAY, FOR TEACHING, LECTURING, INSPECTING AND ADMINISTERING, BUT THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PAY SCALES OF STAFF IN THE FOUR STREAMS. THE COMMISSION'S DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDE IMPROVED PAY SCALES AND A MORE UNIFORM STRUCTURE FOR MOST OF THE GRADES.

AS REGARDS MARRIED WOMEN EMPLOYED IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE STANDING COMMISSION'S VIEW THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO IMPROVE THEIR FRINGE BENEFITS, BUT DID NOT FEEL ABLE TO ACCEPT IN FULL THE IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE TO HAVE DONE SO WOULD HAVE MOVED TOO FAR AHEAD OF PRIVATE SECTOR PRACTICE.

THE STANDING COMMISSION HAD RECOMMENDED THAT MARRIED FEMALE STAFF SHOULD HAVE THE SAME FRINGE BENEFITS AS THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS, SUBJECT TO SUITABLE SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT THE DOUBLE PROVISION OF BENEFITS. THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD MEAN THAT A FEMALE CIVIL SERVANT WOULD DERIVE BENEFITS FOR HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN AS WELL AS HERSELF.

AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, THE GOVERNMENT CONCLUDED THAT IN FUTURE MALE AND FEMALE STAFF SHOULD BE EQUAL IN TERMS OF THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR FRINGE LENEFITS SO FAR AS THEY THEMSELVES ARE CONCERNED, AND THAT THIS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED BY PROVIDING MARRIED FEMALE STAFF THE SAME BENEFITS AS A SINGLE WOMAN, INCLUDING CERTAIN HOUSING BENEFITS.

THE NEW PROVISIONS ARE SUBJECT TO SATISFACTORY DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS BEING DEVISED TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.

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