TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 4

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These paragraphs on public relations and publicity cover all three related issues on which Members are being asked to advise at the meeting on 6th May, namely the Standing Commission recommendations on the upper end of Civil Service Pay Scales and on the pay of the staff of the ICAC, and the Standing Committee recommendations on Directorate salaries.

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Attention is likely to focus on the increased salaries proposed for the Directorate. There is likely to be some criticism of the salary increases both from the public and from civil servants below the ranks which will benefit from the proposed increases. Attention of the civil servants is likely to focus on the likely results of the pay trend survey exercise, and in the case of Model Scale 1 staff it may also revive interest in the review of Model Scale 1 grades by the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service.

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So far as the ICAC recommendations are concerned, there may be comment from the Police Force and other disciplined services on the introduction of a separate scale, for which Police Associations in particular have been pressing.

Publicity

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It is proposed to issue a full announcement of the decisions on all three issues, together with copies of the relevant reports, after the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council has approved the proposal s and the provision of funds. The present intention is to submit proposals on all these matters for the approval of the Finance Committee at the meeting to be held on 28th May. It is hoped to be able to put proposals on any service-wide pay adjustment from 1st April 1980, based on the pay trend survey, to the Finance Committee on June 11th. Members will be consulted first, in the usual way. This timing will mean that the rest of the service will be informed of any increase in their pay fairly soon after the announcement of Directorate and related increases. However, it is also proposed to keep in reserve the option of deferring the announcement of these decisions until the decision on the service-wide pay adjustment from 1st April 1980 can also be announced.

CONFIDENTIAL