XN000022-1990-05-09 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1990

BY THE QUIET THE FEW, AGREEMENT IS NOT

"THE SUCCESS OF OUR SYSTEM SHOULD BE MEASURED CONSENSUS WHICH ENDS THE MAJORITY OF DISAGREEMENTS. NOT BY

REASON, WHATEVER NOISY INSTANCES

POSSIBLE," HE SAID.

WHERE,

FOR

HE SAID THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND THAT THE

CHANGE FOR

THE IN FINALISING

PROPOSALS WAS

SOME ADMINISTRATION CONSULTATION ARRANGEMENTS.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN QUERIES ABOUT THE OF THE PAY TREND SURVEY SYSTEM, ADDING: "SOME MEMBERS HAVE VALIDITY

IS POLICY. THIS THE WHOLE BASIS OF CIVIL SERVICE PAY FOCUSSED ON NATURAL AT A TIME WHEN THERE IS A DOWNTURN IN ECONOMIC GROWTH.'

TO AVOID ANY DOUBT, SIR DAVID SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IN DETERMINING THE SIZE OF PAY ADJUSTMENTS.

PRINCIPLE REMAINS THAT WE FOLLOW THE PRIVATE SECTOR, LEAD IT; THAT WE ESTABLISH WHAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS

BEFORE AWARDING EMPLOYEES ANYTHING.

"THE

IN

THE PRECEDING

YEAR

IN

NOT

AWARDED ITS SERVANTS

CIVIL

"WE

DO THIS BY AN INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED SURVEY OF COMPANIES OF VARIOUS SIZES: 33 PER CENT EMPLOY FEWER THAN 500 27 PER CENT BETWEEN 500 AND 1,000, AND 40 PER CENT OVER 1,000.

SOME 70 STAFF,

HONG KONG "THEY DO NOT REPRESENT A COMPLETE CROSS SECTION OF

WITH GOOD AIMS TO COMPARE ITSELF THE BECAUSE

GOVERNMENT FIRMS

THE AND EMPLOYERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. BUT GOOD DOES NOT MEAN BEST,

TREND INDEPENDENT PAY LIST IS CAREFULLY VETTED BY MEMBERS OF THE

HE SAID. SURVEY COMMITTEE TO ENSURE A FAIR SELECTION,

T

DEALING WITH SECTOR WHICH CIVIL

"HERE I WOULD EMPHASISE THAT ALL THE COMMITTEES

STRONG REPRESENTATION OF PRIVATE HAVE SERVICE PAY CIVIL EMPLOYERS WHO ARE NO DOUBT VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPACT SERVICE PAY HAS ON THE BUSINESS SECTOR," HE ADDED.

THAT

THE CHIEF SECRETARY NOTED THAT LAST YEAR'S SURVEY SHOWED

17 PER AN AVERAGE OVERALL THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAD AWARDED ITS STAFF

JANUARY 1989 AND

31, 1990. A CENT PAY

A INCREASE BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1,

MANAGEMENT SHOWED BY SURVEY SIMILAR

THE INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL HIGHER AVERAGE OF 17.9 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

"THE PAY TREND SURVEY IS, HOWEVER, NOT THE ONLY FACTOR WHICH WE SITUATION AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. THE GENERAL ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART.

"THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE, BECAUSE THE CIVIL SERVICE EXPECTED ΤΟ SHARE BOTH THE UPS AND DOWNS IN THE PERFORMANCE ECONOMY," SIR DAVID SAID.

MUST BE

OF OUR

THE

THE

THAT THE EXECUTIVE HE SAID IT WAS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND

OF COMMITTEE OF THE FINANCE MAJORITY AND A LARGE COUNCIL

15 PER CENT ACROSS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CONSIDERED AN AWARD OF BOARD BOTH FAIR AND REASONABLE IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

"I WOULD