TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 271

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33.

Miss So referred to the manufacturing company Code No. 22. said in the PIU report, the shorthand speed required by company No. 22 for the SAT was 50 w.p.. and typing speed was 40 w.p.m. whereas for Personal Secretary, the shorthand speed was 60 w.p.m. and typing speed 40 w.p.m. and she pointed out that in the Government, the shorthand and typing speed required were 70 and 40 v.p.m. respectively. Thus, Miss

So doubted the job comparability of the two..

34.

Mr. Broadbridge said that was another question that should

be put to the Controller of PIU.

35.

Miss So said the Staff Side was rather disappointed because such a simple question could not get a straightforward answer from the Official Side.

She

36.

Miss So further explained that all along, the Official Side asked the Staff Side to put up fresh evidence, and new reasonings in their demand for higher pay but when now evidence were being raised by the Staff Side, they were put off by answers such as agreed procedures, normal procedures and correct procedures and there were never a simple answer to their simple question. Thus, it was rather unnecessary for them to put up any evidence since the Official Side always tried to shift responsibility to other persons.

37

Mr. Hammond said the Staff Side cubmitted a long letter to the Official Side on the 11th May and they had examined it very carefully and replied to a great length already. They had just now been given some brand new evidence which they had not seen before. The Staff Side ought to give them sufficient time to concult the proper person for those technical detailed questions.

380

Mr. Hammond further said that Mr. Broadbridge did make it very clear that they would find out the answers to their questions by con- sulting the Controller of FIU. If the Staff, Side had let them know before the meeting that they would ask questions concerning the FIU, they could have arranged the Controller to be present at this meeting.

39.

Miss So said in the last meeting it was said that PIU was an independent body, not being influenced by the Civil Service Branch. However, before they were going into this survey, the PIU was being provided with job comparability and pay rates by the Working Party and it was obvious that their survey would truly be influenced by the Working Party, and in this meeting, they raised a very simple question that they simply wanted to know why in the 17 companies surveyed in 1976 which were being picked out from the 24 companies in 1975 and 1974, there were three manufacturing companies in 1976 and only two manufacturing companies in 1973 and 1974, and they expected either Mr. Broadbridge or Mr. Yue would be able to answer that simple question, but they did not expect Mr. Broadbridge to say that those questions would have to be answered by the Controller of PIU.

40.

Mr. Broadbridge said that the Staff Side inferred that the Controller of PIU was influenced by the Working Party in two ways. The Working Party did give hin job descriptions for the new rank of Stenographer and also the Civil Service pay rates. The first point that the Staff Side had made was absolutely correct but the Working Party did not give the Controller of PIU of the new Civil Service pay rates. That was the whole point of the whole exercise to go and have a look

Cont'd.

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