HONG KONG
Hong Kong’s major Public Service unions have endorsed the Government’s proposal for a pay rise of up to 5 per cent but have urged authorities to review the mechanism that brought it about.
The official Pay Trend Survey Committee (PTSC) — which includes representatives from business, the professional sectors, Government and the Public Service — proposed the increase after analysing data from 108 private companies.
The Committee submitted the proposal to the Civil Service Bureau.
The Executive Council will decide on the final pay rise before the Government seeks funding from the Legislative Council.
President of the 120,000-strong Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association, Li Kwai-yin said even though the rises were endorsed, the practice of discounting pay increments should be reviewed.
The Government currently discounts the cost of increments for the three salary bands from the amount PS employees were supposed to get under the private market pay rise indexes.
The deduction translates into 2.19 per cent in the lower salary band and 1.21 per cent in the middle and higher salary bands this year.
Ms Li noted the cost of increments and discounts had increased, as the Public Service expanded in recent years — from about 154,000 in 2007 to more than 170,000 last year.
She said it was unfair for the Government to use the same formula to calculate their pay rise.
Steven Wong Hung-lok, of the Senior Government Officers Association, said discounts should be capped.
“This problem has existed for many years,” Mr Wong said.
“This mechanism has been used for 30 years and it’s time for a review.”
Hong Kong, 24 May 2019
