TNAG-0235-FCO40-271-Petition-on-equal-pay-for-women-from-Chinese-Civil-Servants--1970 — Page 15

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paid the same salary, and that this policy should be implemented

in accordance with a phased programme extending over a reasonable

period of time not exceeding ten years. The Government also

accepted in principle that the bar to the appointment of married

women on normal contract or pensionable terms should be withdrawn.

The first step involved detailed examination of all grades

in the public service in which women were employed to determine

their relationship with the corresponding grades in which men were

serving. A scheme introducing equal pay for women by annual

stages over the period from 1 April, 1969 1 April, 1975 was

then discussed with the Staff Associations, and details of the

first stage of the scheme were announced in an Establishment

Circular issued on 6 October, 1969.

Argument

-

The Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants Association have

complained in their Petition that the position of women employed

in thirty-seven grades (mainly teachers and nurses) has been

deferred for further examination. It was not, however, possible

to include these grades in the first stage of the scheme because

the Government were already reviewing the salary structure for all

teachers, male and female, and they have in mind a similar review

of the salary structure for nurses.

When the scheme was discussed with the Staff Associations

(including the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants Association) they

accepted it, on being reassured :-

(a) That any future decisions about equal pay for those

women in the deferred grades who qualified for equal pay

would be implemented retrospectively from 1 April, 1969;

/ (b)

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