ENG-1968 — Page 386

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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Government and the three main Staff Associations which provided for the setting up of consultative machinery and for the reference of certain disputed matters to an independent Committee of Inquiry. A Senior Civil Service Council was thereupon formally constituted with the dual objects of improving the efficiency of the Public Service and securing the well-being of its members.

A salaries revision was announced in August as a result of which minor staff received a 10 per cent increase in their pay and other staff below the superscale level received an eight per cent increase. These revised salaries were effective from April 1, 1968 and were the first increases since April 1965.

During the year further emphasis was placed on training. The Secretariat Training Unit became the Government Training Division which now has its own accommodation in Causeway Bay. At the same time, the responsibilities of the Division were expanded to include the overall surveillance and co-ordination of training within Government, particularly where it leads to the implementation of the policy of localization at the recruitment level, and the main- tenance and improvement of efficiency within the service. In the period under review, the Division awarded 19 Scholarships under the Government Training Scholarship Scheme to enable local officers to obtain qualifications not available locally, but which are necessary for senior posts in the Service. In addition 56 courses for General and Departmental Grades were arranged and attended by 1,400 trainees. Under the overseas training programme 149 local officers were able to undertake post-graduate study overseas.