XN000022-1988-11-21 — Page 4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1988

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RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO IMPROVE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

FOR DISCIPLINED SERVICES

THE REVIEW COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINED SERVICES PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, IN ITS FINAL REPORT RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY), HAS PROPOSED A PACKAGE TO IMPROVE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR THE FIVE DISCIPLINED SERVICES.

THE PACKAGE INCLUDES A REVISED SYSTEM ON ALLOWANCES; GROUPINGS OF THE FIVE SERVICES FOR PAY PURPOSES; AND THE SETTING UP OF AN INDEPENDENT BODY TO CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS RELATING TO THE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR THE FIVE DISCIPLINED SERVICES.

THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED IN APRIL THIS YEAR BY THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE TO REVIEW THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT'S FIVE DISCIPLINED SERVICES

THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, FIRE SERVICES CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE.

DEPARTMENT,

MR

RELEASING THE REPORT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, THE CHAIRMAN, ARCHIE RENNIE, SAID

SAID THAT THE PROPOSED PACKAGE, IF ACCEPTED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND IGNORING CHANGES IN ALLOWANCES, WOULD BRING ABOUT AN AVERAGE 9.4 PER CENT INCREASE IN BASIC PAY FOR THE POLICE FORCE; 10.5 PER CENT FOR THE FIRE SERVICES; 16.8 PER CENT FOR THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES; 16.5 PER CENT FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE, AND 14.7 PER CENT FOR THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE.

"WITHIN EACH SERVICE THE FIGURES FOR DIFFERENT RANKS AND DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF SERVICE VARIED CONSIDERABLY, WITH THE LARGER INCREASES GOING TO THOSE IN THE MIDDLE RANKS AND TO LONGER-SERVING MEMBERS OF THE ENTRY GRADES. THE NET EFFECT OF CHANGES IN ALLOWANCES, SOME OF WHICH THE COMMITTEE PROPOSED SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN AND SOME INCREASED, WOULD BE TO REDUCE THESE FIGURES OVERALL BY ABOUT ONK PER CENT, HE SAID.

H

"THE COMMITTEE UNDERSTAND THAT PAY LEVELS WOULD BE BACKDATED TO APRIL 1 THIS YEAR, AND RECOMMEND THAT ANY CHANGES SHOULD BE IN ADDITION TO ANY FURTHER GENERAL PAY ADJUSTMENT THAT MIGHT RESULT FROM THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY THAT HAS BEEN RECENTLY APPOINTED," MR RENNIE SAID.

HE SAID THE COMMITTEE WERE GREATLY IMPRESSED BY THE WORK OF ALL THE FIVE DISCIPLINED SERVICES AS THEY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PRESERVING THE SECURITY, STABILITY AND WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG.

"THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE NATURE AND CONTENT OF ALL FIVE SERVICES' RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE DEVELOPED AND GROWN OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS AND THAT THEY ARE NOW REQUIRED ΤΟ UNDERTAKE SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER AND MORE COMPLEX TASKS, HE ADDED.

"AS HONG