TNAG-0916-FCO40-1127-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-K-1979 — Page 287

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Reference.......

HK 30/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY. 51 30 JAN1979

DESK OFFICER INDEX

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Miss Wills HKGD K 242

POZITIONS

STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.

1. Thank you for letting me see these papers. I am glad that the Chairman of the Commission has been empowered to co-opt additional persons to serve on sub-committees. This accords with the thought behind the suggestion in paragraph 2(iv) of my minute of 19 December that the Governor might consider appointing a panel from both sides of industry to be drawn upon as necessary in relation to the particular issue under consideration by the Commission. I hope the possibility of co-opting persons with a trade union background will be considered in appropriate cases.

2. Father McGovern's appointment to the Commission is no doubt based on his past concern for workers' interests. I wonder if any of the others named in paragraph 2 of Hong Kong Tel No 116 have been appointed for this reason: in short, are there any with a trade union background? I do not think paragraph 2 of your minute at (2) is quite correct in this respect. My concern is not that the civil service trade unions should be represented directly on the Commission but that there should be persons on the Commission who are generally sympathetic to the civil servants' point of view. They would not be officers of civil service unions as their impartiality would then obviously be questionable. Nevertheless, if employers in the private sector were to be represented on the Commission there is at least a case for including someone from the trade union movement in the private sector. Decisions of the Hong Kong Government based on the advice of the Commission would be likely to command more ready acceptance by unions if it were known publicly that the Commission contained elements known to be conversant with and sympathetic to the trade union movement.

3.

I saw Mr Peter Williams last Friday and at his request I am collecting documentary material for him relating to the practices in this country of the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the Central Arbitration Committee and the Civil Service Pay Review Unit.

PREtunt.

18 January 1979

HR G Hurst

Overseas Labour Adviser

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