TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 236

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1971 had seemingly discerned anomalies in the application of the equal pay' concept to other Class relativities with those of the secretarial Class and had made reference to this in para. 161 of their. Report. They then said the scales they were then proposing would readjust the anomalies. Government accepted thosc scales. Government cannot therefore agree that Shorthand/ Audio Typists were not receiving pay for the job folloving 1971;

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(d) whether promotion was faster in the private sector was

a matter of opinion. In some occupations and professions it probably was. Against this one had to set the relative safety in bad times as well as good of Government and the regular if less spectacular progression of pay. Government one had promotion prospects, not rights. Prospects could change through many factors. The restructuring of the Secretarial Class had temporarily reduced advancement prospects of Shorthand/Audio Typists to Personal Secretary but had opened up a fresh field to Supervisor of Typing Services. Promotions to Personal Secretary would likely begin again sometime next year; (c) the wastage rate of 18.5% (79) _in_the_Shorthand/Audio

Typist grade in 1976 was acceptable bearing in mind that not all officers resigned because of poor pay; some went to ICAC, HTR, the HK Polytechnic.and.to.Government..posts in other grades. This element could not be regarded as 'wastage in the true sense. Sone officers who had boun

A level holders had gone overseas to further their studies. It was usual to have high wastage in "young" grades. School leavers often spent the first few years. after school seeking the right kinds of careers for themselves. The average age of Shorthand/Audio Typists was low when compared with that of practically every other grade in Government;

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(f) the P.I.U. survey had been conducted in May/Jun 1976 at a time when H.K. had recovered from the earlior recession and was once again experiencing rapid growth. The survey, which had covered 27 major companies reded as good employers was not unrepresentative and had presented a true picture. Government had made increased pay retrospective to 1st April 1976;

(g) the Organisation & liethods Survey had been conducted on

the basis of work logs prepared by officers themselves with entries verified by flimsy copies or measurements of typed correspondence, Allowances for typing speeds and non-typing duties, breaks etc. had been generous. Officers were not being asked to do work which was excessive or inappropriate to their grade. Promotion prospects tended to fluctuate for most grades, however Government could only pay for the job that was required to be done.