Hong Kong Public Servants will get at least a 2.87 per cent pay increase this year, Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan has announced.
That figure applies to high-level employees, while low and mid-level employees will receive a 4.65 per cent rise.
This comes in the face of private sector pressures that bureaucrats be paid “less than four per cent to prevent a flow-on effect”.
Ms Yeung said the final decision was based on the previously conducted results of a salary trend survey and other factors, such as the economic situation, the change in the cost of living, Public Servants’ needs and so on.
Chief Executive of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, Leung Chau-ting said the salary adjustment was acceptable, but there was still much more work to do to stem the upsurge in staff leaving the Public Service.
On the other hand, the Hong Kong Senior Government Officers Association expressed dissatisfaction, saying in a statement that the Government had failed to account for the morale of high-level workers, ignoring their contributions to the Government and society.
Meanwhile, Ms Yeung has appealed to public sector staff to sign up as organ donors after a surge in withdrawals from the Register, which one city leader said was an attempt to “sabotage” the system.
The move came after health authorities spotted an “unusual rise” in the number of people applying to be taken off the Register from last December, when the Government revealed its intent to establish a donation mechanism with mainland China.
President of the Legislative Council, Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said spreading rumours about the organ donation program was an act that displayed “ulterior motives and no conscience”.
Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu said he was concerned about actions that appeared to be designed to sabotage the organ donation scheme.
Hong Kong, 11 June 2023
