ENG-1965 — Page 331

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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

1964, having regard inter alia to the 5 per cent interim award and 2 per cent children's allowance granted to the Public Service as from July 1963. The Commission assembled at the beginning of April and in June submitted its Interim Report which recommended the replacement of the interim award and children's allowance by a 12 per cent increase in salary. This recommendation was accepted. The Commission's main report, tabled in Legislative Council at the end of September, recommended that salaries should generally be increased by 16 per cent over 1959 levels, with effect from 1st April 1965. The Commission also recommended increases in wages for minor staff who had last received a substantive increase in Decem- ber 1964. No decisions had been taken by the end of the year on the Commission's recommendations.

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However, the government announced on 22nd December that it had been decided to make certain limited payments before Chinese New Year, 1966. These would be of two kinds. Labourers, ' semi- skilled labourers and artisans would receive an advance on the recommendations made in their case by the Commission. This advance would be calculated on the basis of $25 a month for male staff and $15 a month for female staff, for each month of service between 1st April and 31st December 1965. These amounts would be continued on in monthly paysheets until final decisions were taken on the Commission's recommendations.

The rest of the service would receive a payment which was a con- tinuation for a further seven months, up to the end of March 1965, of the award of the Commission's interim report. This was the 12 per cent increase over the levels set by the 1959 Salaries Commis- sion and replaced the temporary 5 per cent allowance and children's allowance.

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