TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 5

On grounds that the Personal Secretary Grade is exclusively the promotion grade for the Shorthand-Audio Typists and that the job activities of both ranks are closely identical, it is considered more appropriate to re-title the Grade from "Shorthand-Audio Typist" to "Junior Secretary" which would undoubtedly reflect its true status rather than one of "Stenographer".

In consideration of the three-fold purpose for which the Shorthand- Audio Typist Grade was created, the Salaries Commission 1965 recommended a minimum salary which would provide a sufficient incentive to promotion from the typist grade; at the top, to satisfy the needs of a career salary, and endorsed the existing overlap with the lowest point on the scale for Personal Secretaries II. This principle had been adhered to during the past ten years or so and was only abandoned in the Restruc- turing 1977 which created adverse effects to the career salary for the Shorthand-Audio Typist Grade.

For ease of reference, comparative salary scales for Personal Secretaries, Shorthand-Audio Typists and Copy-Typists are appended below :-

Year

S.A.T.

Personal Secretaries

1965

1970

$505-$942

$445-$775 $750-$1190

$851-$1495

Clerical Officer II (Female)

$300-$730

Clerical Assistants

(Female)

$270-8355

$374-883 $280-$517

1976

$600-$1025 950-$1650

$490-$1182

$402-$780

1976

$920-$1515

$1405-$2440

$855-$2080

$730-1515

(after

restruc- $855-$1735*

$1850-$2720*

$855-$2080*

$730-$1515*

turing)

(*) These figures do not take into account the 1977 general

adjustment (7.5%).

It is clearly shown that the relativity has been changed in the Restructuring 1977 from one of overlapping to one of rifting. This sudden change of status between the Shorthand-Audio Typist's maximum and the Personal Secretary's minimum is a departure from the principle captioned above.

Another point of note is that consequent to the 1976 Restructuring, the minimum of a Personal Secretary's salary was increased by 4 Points (+31.6%) and that of a Typist by 1 point (+18.25%), whereas the entry point of a Shorthand-Audio Typist was extended downward by 1 point (-14%).