TNAG-0916-FCO40-1127-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-K-1979 — Page 239

C.S. 154

香港布政司署

Confidential

R&R.

19

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.

HONG KONG.

Your Ref: HKK/430/1

Our Ref: (51) in PSU/SC/1

Chief Secretary's Office

R. J. T. McLaren, Esq.,

Hong Kong and General Department, Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

King Charles Street, London, S.W.1,

AKK 430/1

5.11

18 APR 1979

~ Williamson

No 42112-1179

England.

il

•please consider in the light of the

Dear Roxin, past papers: my inclination is to regard this / correspondence as closed, at least for the time

being.

Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries

and Conditions of Service

82.17/4

The Governor has asked me to reply to your letter of the 5th March, which I have discussed in confidence with the Chairman and the Secretary-General of the Commission as well as within the Administration. Recent events in the U.K. may well have reduced interest for the time being in this subject, but important points have been raised by you and clearly deserve a detailed reply. So I apologise at once for the length of this letter.

2.

When we were considering the composition of the Commission, we saw two main options. First, a completely independent Commission with no members of the Civil Service official or staff sides on it. Secondly, a tripartite membership consisting of independents and members or representatives of official and staff sides (on the lines of the U.K. Central Arbitration Committee or of the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal).

3.

One of the main factors which persuaded us to adopt the first option was that the present stage of development of trade unionism in Hong Kong makes it virtually impossible to select a trade unionist who would be generally acceptable. Unlike U.K., there is really no career structure here for those wishing to make a living as professional union leaders, and there is no well- known and generally respected union leader or official. As you know, the situation is further complicated by the split of much of the trade union movement into political factions. The result is that even if one or two trade unionists with appropriate experience and of suitable calibre could be found, they need not necessarily be and probably would not be generally acceptable.

Cont'd/...