TNAG-2422-FCO40-3524-Hong-Kong-Her-Majesty-s-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-poli-1992 — Page 118

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cutting costs, including ideas about negotiating tactics with HMOCS representatives. We have thus avoided their insisting that we clear every line of our negotiating brief

with them in advance. But they have left us in no doubt that they would resist strongly any improvement in our

proposal.

B

C

U A

D

The Consultation Process

5.

On 7 April we gave the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the

HMOCS Association in Hong Kong the attached opening

statement, outlining the Government's approach to a scheme providing elements of compensation and incentive for HMOCS officers in recognition of the change of sovereignty on

1 July 1997. This explained the basis that we envisaged using for calculating the maximum sums payable but did not disclose our thinking on phasing of payments (we said it was

for discussion whether the phasing period should cover the whole of an officer's career or a lesser period; and whether all instalments should be equal or whether there should be

back-loading for example).

6. Through HKG we circulated copies of the statement to all HMOCS officers in Hong Kong and had it drawn to the attention of those contract officers originally appointed before 1985 who retain the right to apply for pensionable

terms and thus for membership of HMOCS. We invited comments

on the proposal by 24 April.

7. The HMOCS Association held a general meeting to discuss

our statement and its Committee have sent a letter of

comment. We have also received more than 200 letters from

individual officers. We are still analysing these comments but the general lines are already clear (see para 9 below).

The HMOCS Association Committee welcomed our proposal

8.

NC1ACC/3

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