TNAG-0992-FCO40-1211-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 131

Summary of Comments by the Staff Side

of the Senior Civil Service Council

Annex B

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 12 and 13 of the Second Report on Civil Service Pay (Report No. 5) which deal with service-wide issues have been passed to the Staff Side of At the the Senior Civil Service Council for information. 59th Meeting of the Senior Civil Service Council on 14 October 1980, the Staff Side made the following comments in respect of these chapters :

Chapter 3

(a)

General Considerations

On educational qualification benchmarks, the Staff Side noted that where a Polytechnic or a registered post- secondary college qualification is an alternative qualification for entry to a grade, the holder of such a qualification would in most cases receive the same starting pay as a matriculant

in the case of a matriculation grade) or as a university graduate in the case of a degree grade); however, in some cases where there is still provision for multiple entry points, the holder would enter the pay scale between the matriculation and degree entry points. The Staff Side felt that in these cases, different sets of rules seemed to be applied.

(b)

The Staff Side also noted that the absence of a specific benchmark for a Polytechnic or a registered post- secondary qualification for grades where such a qualification is the principal entry qualification would mean that the pay level would vary according to the job which the holder might choose to enter. This was not in line with the Standing Commission's stated principle of setting specific benchmarks for specific educational qualifications.

(c)

The Staff Side noted the reference in the Report that there is a big gap between the school certificate and matriculation benchmarks, and suggested that the Commission should have been able to recommend appropriate adjustments on the basis of the results of a survey which were already available without having to wait until a later review.

(a)

On conversion arrangements, while noting that there would be a further improvement in certain cases, the Staff Side remained of the view that it would be more equitable to all concerned if a point-to-point conversion system was adopted. This would ensure that all serving officers would get the same benefits.

(e)

As regards implementation, the Staff Side felt that it would have been helpful if the Commission had suggested specific dates for implementing its various proposals.

Chapter 7