TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 519

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Four headings suggest themselves where concessions could possibly be made:-

(a) Minimum salary:

As I understand it the minimum point on the salary scale of this grade has been dropped by one increment. Perhaps. this could be put back to its original level.

(b) Entry qualifications:

I believe, from our discussions during my last visit, that these have been raised to bring them in line with the general standard achieved by secretarial training establishments in Hong Kong. This being the case it may not be possible or sensible to revert to the former qualifications. Nevertheless,

I do find it hard to reconcile a drop in minimum salary with an increase in the entry qualifications.

(c) Promotion:

Your telno 92 makes the point that, during 1978, you expect to promote 30 members of the shorthand and audio typists grade. Given that the grade has some 350 members, it is unlikely that on these figures, even taking natural wastage into account, you will be able to maintain the recent average of four years in the grade before promotion. Trade unions in this country would expect, and almost certainly get, financial compensation for any worsening of promotion prospects. Perhaps the simplest way of achieving this would be to extend upwards the salary scale of this grade by one or two points. This would have the added benefit of meeting one of the minor complaints of SATA, namely that the bottom of the personal secretary scale used to overlap the top of their own scale but no longer does so.

(d) Proficiency increments:

Mrs Cheung claims that, when the entry qualifications for her grade were raised, the level of proficiency needed to receive extra payment was also increased. She quoted shorthand speeds of 80 wpm on entry with the first proficiency payment at 110 wpm as being the current position and compared this to the previous levels of 70 and 80 wpm respectively. Even if one accepts that there is a good argument against lowering the entry qualification, would it not be possible for the same relativity to be maintained, ie entry at 80 wpm and the first proficiency payment at 90 wpm?

6. In return for your agreement to pay those currently in dispute on the new salary scale, together with a concession on one or more of these four points, I am confident that Mrs Cheung would be willing to recommend to her members that they call off their present lobbying campaign and return to normal, harmonious working. We would then be able to give positive evidence of the goodwill of the Hong Kong Government which would be very useful in defusing criticism,

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