TNAG-0695-FCO40-845-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 176

DISPUTE BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHORTHAND AND AUDIO TYPISTS ASSOCIATION AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

INTRODUCTION

1. In 1975 an O & M study of the secretarial and typing services in Hong Kong concluded that it was desirable to introduce a radical re-organisation of the existing system. The Hong Kong Secretary for the Civil Service therefore established a committee (which included three members of the secretarial class) to draw up proposals for restructuring the secretarial class. The Committee's Report, which took into account among other things views put forward by staff side representatives was accepted by the Secretary of the Civil Service and a revised system was proposed to the staff involved in the autumn of 1976. About 25% of the Government's copy typists and a substantial majority of the shorthand and audio typists have so far declined to accept the Government's proposals. Discussions are continuing with representatives of the copy typists. In the meantime, the shorthand and audio typists have launched a campaign to gain sympathy for their cause in Britain by sending petitions to The Queen, the Prime Minister, MPs, Civil Service Unions, Women's Associations, and others. They are also trying to obtain press and TV publicity.

THE GOVERNMENT SHORTHAND AND AUDIO TYPISTS ASSOCIATION'S CASE

2. The Association's grievances date back to 1971, when the Hong Kong Government introduced an equal pay for women scheme which eliminated separate salary scales for men and women in the Government service. As a result of this, female clerical staff received substantial increases to bring them into line with their male colleagues. Shorthand and audio typists on the other hand, being a grade where there was no separate, higher male scale, were unaffected. As a result, whereas the shorthand and audio typists had previously received some 33% more than female clerical officers and 80% more than female clerical assistants, after the 1971 changes a shorthand typist at the top of her scale was receiving 13% less than a clerical officer and only 33% more than a clerical assistant.

The

/shorthand

(w/20