TNAG-0916-FCO40-1127-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-K-1979 — Page 114

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32.

In view of the number of representations received on the subject we would suggest that it may be appropriate to remind civil servants that not all private sector fringe benefits are superior to their own. In considering practices in the private sector civil servants should not lose sight of the special benefits peculiar to the civil service; for example, job security, regularly reviewed pensions, generally more generous leave provisions, and so on.

33.

We do accept the view that while the Pay Investigation Unit remains administratively part of the Civil Service Branch this will give rise to doubts about the independence of its operations. We have noted that the majority believe that the Unit should be placed under the control of the Standing Commission and we shall consider this along with other possibilities when we have had the opportunity to assess the role the Unit should play in our revised proposals for implementing the principle of fair comparison. In the meantime, we hope that our suggestion that staff be provided with information on how the Unit works will be acted upon. We appreciate of course that no disclosure can or should be made of information provided to the Unit by the private sector on a confidential basis.

Starting Rates of Pay and Other Factors Affecting Pay

34.

At present, for officers on the Master Pay Scale, we consider educational qualifications provide the most satisfactory method of establishing benchmarks for starting rates of pay for entry ranks. The use of educational qualifications to determine benchmarks for starting rates of pay is a widely accepted practice and we see no reason to depart from this practice. We do not, however, necessarily consider the present educational benchmarks to be appropriate. For example there appears to us to be too big a difference between the benchmark for school certificate and that for matriculation and some of the Hong Kong Polytechnic qualifications seem undervalued. We shall therefore examine the benchmarks for the various qualifications in our review of individual grades.

35.

In the Consultative Document we drew attention to a disadvantage in the use of educational qualifications as a major consideration in determining starting rates of pay.

This was that their use could lead to pressure to raise minimum entry qualifications as a means of raising pay levels. A number of the representations which we have received lead us to believe that this is a very real danger. In the longer term there is probably a need to review the educational standards necessary for entry to each grade both in the light of changes in the nature of the work performed and having regard to changes in the pattern of education in Hong Kong generally.

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