TNAG-2668-FCO40-3865-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-1993 — Page 167

AECS

Ref. R 14

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Government Secretariat,

Lower Albert Road,

Hong Kong.

11 February 1993

Dear Sir,

Re: Localisation Policy - CSR 281

We request an urgent meeting to discuss our Association's proposals for changing the localisation policy as it applies to agreement service officers who are permanent residents of llong Kong.

We think that there may be an opportunity for a non-confrontational resolution of our concerns in light of recent public statements by Mr. Harbinson. The review now under way in the Civil Service Branch to reconsider the circumstances under which a permanent resident of llong Kong can he employed on local terms may result in a solution that is acceptable to our members.

However, we cannot accept a delay of many months for the review to he completed while members continue to lose their jobs. We therefore request an urgent meeting in the hope that an earlier resolution can be achieved. If this is not possible we will regrettably have to use other avenues to publicize and pursue our objectives.

This

We recently established a Localisation Committee of our Council. request for a meeting is the first of its initiatives. With good will on both sides, no further initiatives need be necessary.

position on the issue,

In order to give you a clear idea of our following is a summary list of reasons which we will put forward to justify changing the present policy -

(a) the policy is morally wrong because it discriminates

(b)

(c)

between employees on the basis of their social origin, the dominant effect of which is to distinguish between persons on the basis of race;

the policy is legally wrong because it conflicts with articles 1, 21(c) and 22 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance; the policy is politically wrong because it conflicts with the agreement between the UK and China expressed in the Joint Declaration and now also expressed in the Basic Law, both of which expressly contemplate the continued employment of foreign nationals;

ASSOCIATION OF EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS OF HONG KONG

Room G12, Central Government Ollices, East Wing, Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong Tel: 522-0568 Fax: 521-7923

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