XN000022-1990-10-31 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1990

7

"IT IS PERHAPS TOO EARLY TO DISCUSS CURRENT PAY TRENDS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT OUR ECONOMIC AND BUDGETARY POSITION DICTATES THAT WE SHALL CERTAINLY HAVE TO BE PRUDENT ON PAY ADJUSTMENTS NEXT YEAR, HE SAID,

**

THE CHIEF SECRETARY NOTED THAT SOME MEMBERS, REFLECTING PUBLIC VIEWS ON THE MATTER, EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT GET ITSELF LOCKED INTO AN ENDLESS ROUND OF SALARY REVIEWS FOR DIFFERENT GRADES.

"REFERENCES IN THE MEDIA, AND INDEED BY SOME OF THE AFFECTED GRADES THEMSELVES, MAY HAVE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE IS A NON- STOP PROCESS OF SALARY AWARDS TO LUCKY CIVIL SERVANTS.

"IT IS IMPORTANT THEREFORE TO SET THE RECENT AWARDS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE SALARY STRUCTURE, WHICH BEGAN ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND WAS INITIATED AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF INCREASING DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING STAFF," HE SAID.

OF

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS ONE EXERCISE; BUT BECAUSE ITS COMPREHENSIVENESS AND THE NUMBERS INVOLVED, THAT WAS SOME 400 GRADES, IT HAD TO BE SPREAD OUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

THE IN

"THE REVIEW IS NOW DRAWING TO A CLOSE. THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE WILL COMPLETE FINAL

SALARY STAGE OF ITS REVIEW OF NON-DIRECTORATE

STRUCTURE DECEMBER, BY WHICH TIME THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINED SERVICES SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE WILL ALSO HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS

THE SALARY OF DISCIPLINED SERVICE OFFICERS.

ON

"THE END IS THEREFORE IN SIGHT, AND I DO NOT FORESEE ANOTHER OVERALL SALARY STRUCTURE REVIEW FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, HE SAID.

ON

CONDITIONS

WAS GOVERNMENT OF SERVICE, SIR DAVID SAID THE CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT CONDITIONS OF SERVICE REMAINED APPROPRIATE IN PRESENT DAY CIRCUMSTANCES.

-

"THIS DOES NOT MEAN THROWING MORE MONEY INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS, WHICH IS ALREADY GENERALLY ACKNOWLEDGED TO GOOD AND WHICH BEFITS A GOOD EMPLOYER.

PACKAGE

OF

BE

"THE MAIN AIM IS TO ENSURE THAT RESOURCES ARE USED MORE COST- EFFECTIVELY, AND THAT CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS ARE STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT BEST MEET THE CHANGING ASPIRATIONS OF STAFF," HE SAID,

"THE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED NEW CIVIL SERVICE HOUSING PACKAGE A GOOD EXAMPLE: WHILE MEETING THE STAFF'S WISH FOR GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, THE SCHEME WILL ALSO RESULT IN TERM SAVINGS OF ABOUT $3 BILLION.

IS

LONG

"ITS POPULARITY IS ATTESTED BY THE FACT

ON OCTOBER 1 THIS YEAR TO THE END OF LAST IMPLEMENTATION 5,500 CIVIL SERVANTS HAVE APPLIED UNDER THE PACKAGE TO ACQUIRE OWN HOMES," SIR DAVID SAID.

THAT, FROM

WEEK,

ITS SOME

THEIR

/HE ALSO