TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 10

INDUSTRIAL AND UNION ACTIONS

Before and after the finalization of the unilateral restructuring of the Shorthand-Audio Typist Grade in 1976, a series of lengthy meetings wore held between representa- tives of the Civil Service Branch and the Association. However, discussions in the absence of good-will and sincerity on the part of the official-side yielded nothing constructive but only led to endless and fruitless arguments ovor the issue.

Representatives of the Association are mero amatours of limited knowledge and practically inexperienced in bargaining. They strive helplessly for the betterment of the career of some 400 lady officers in the grade in order to protect themselves frm abuse and exploitation; whereas the official-side members are highly educated and well-trained senior administrative and executive officers who are duty- bound to regulate internal relativities in the Givil Service and safeguard the public funds. On occasions, the principle of fair treatments and parity wore thus ignored. The attitude of the official-side towards this issue is one of prejudicial and authoritative. They are reluctant to accept any of the reasonable grounds and evidential materials produced by the staff-side and insist on the adherence to the alleged "normal, agreed and correct" procedure set by the management and the Senior Civil Service Council in the Colony of Hong Kong.

The Senior Civil Service Council purported to represent all civil servants, comprises of only three staff associations, namely the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants' Association, the Senior Non-Expatriate offfbers' Association and the Association of Expatriate Officers' Association which total mombership is less than 10% of the civil servants in ilong Kong, is a mockory to any democratic society flying the British Flag and under a Labour Government. It only represents colour and senior civil servants' interests. Government's sole rocognition on their negotiation status has closed the door to a fair and opon election to be participated by all civil servants. Instead the large majority of civil servants are betrayed under this system.

In the past five years, various professious in the Civil Service havo declared their loss of faith and morale with the Hong Kong Government and a large number of civil sorvants have been forced into confrontation with the Government, *.g. the teaching staff, clerical officers, nurses, sanitary workers, demarcators, typists, police interpreters, shorthand-audio typists, etc.