TNAG-0695-FCO40-845-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 63

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As you know, it is a feature of the UK Civil Service approach to setting pay that from time to time relativities within the Civil Service must change. In this case the key relativities have changed in favour of the Stenographers. (See paragraph 5 of my letter to them of 25th October. This letter was copied to you, but I enclose a further copy for your convenience). It is true that women who benefitted from the "equal pay" scheme in 1969, upset their relativities with the rest of the Service. However, the effects of the "equal pay" scheme have since independently been reviewed, particularly by the 1971 Salaries Commission, and to re-open this issue now would create far more unrest than it would allay.

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Furthermore, although not strictly relevant, it may influence potential sympathisers if they realize that at the current exchange rate of 8.5 our Stenographers are slightly better paid than their equivalents in the UK Civil Service (not to mention their considerable advantages in respect of taxation). Our pay of $1865 per month equates to E 2633 per annum, whereas UK SATS receive 50.50 per week which equates £2626 per annum. It is also of interest that UK General Circular 77, effective on 1st April 1975, entitled "Restructuring of the Typing and Secretarial Grades", which our Committee on the Secretarial Class had before it, indicates that our management of these grades is not dissimilar to yours. Our typing speed requirements are slightly higher but our shorthand speed requirements are slightly lower. Career development and promotion prospects are similar, including the possibility of moving to Superintendent (our Supervisor), Personal Secretary, and Clerical Officer. The differential between Clerical Assistant and SAT in the UK is £3.20 per week in favour of SATS; here it is £6.35 per week in favour of SATS.

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I presume that even in the UK arbitration would not normally be resorted to if the majority of a Class had accepted Government's package and resistance was confined to about 6%. We have here a situation where of the four Staff Associations representing the 2270 members of the Secretarial Class, three representing 1929 members have accepted Government's package, and of the remaining one (SATA), 195 members out of 341, or 58% have disregarded the SATA's advice and accepted the new structure.

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Any suggestion of an arbitration on relativities at this stage would be most unfortunate. The effect on the 94% of the Secretarial Class who have accepted Government's package must be considered, and, it should be further borne in mind that in 1971, following the independent Salaries Commission, most relativities were disturbed to a greater

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