TNAG-0695-FCO40-845-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 177

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shorthand and audio typists were never happy about this, but only recently seem to have realised that other groups similarly affected in 1971 ended up getting a better deal as a result of taking a more militant attitude. They are thus making this one of the main issues in their dispute with the Government over the 1976 package, even though, strictly speaking, it is not directly relevant.

3. In addition to a number of lesser grievances from the past, they are also raising the following objections to the new proposals:

(a) the salary scales now being proposed are based on a survey carried out by the Government appointed Pay Investigation Unit (PIU); this survey covered seventeen firms, and thus compared unfavourably with a survey carried out by a commercial organisation, the Hong Kong Productivity Centre, which covered 177 firms, and which came up with salary scales for shorthand typists some 25% higher than those of the PIU; the Association are also critical of the PIU on a number of other

grounds;

(b) the Association claim that the new scheme gives them poor promotion prospects, particularly since the re-organisation will make redundant some 100 Personal Secretaries, who will thus have first priority in filling the senior vacancies that would otherwise represent the normal promotion outlet for the shorthand and audio typists.

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CASE

4. The Hong Kong Government maintain that the 1971 changes were correct: since the shorthand and audio typists were already reseiving the proper rate for the job, they had no claim to consideration when the equal pay scheme was brought into effect.

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