3pc pay rise for all civil servants

Wallis Wang

All 170,000 civil servants will get a 3 percent pay increase this year, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan has announced, with Hong Kong's economy and fiscal position and the workers' morale taken into consideration.

The hike is significantly lower than the numbers crunched by the pay trend survey, which suggested a 4.01 percent rise for senior civil servants, 4.32 percent for those in the middle rank, and 5.47 percent for junior officers.

Yeung yesterday said the government decided on the same pay rise with effect from April 1.

An assistant clerical officer with a monthly wage of HK$16,695, for example, will see a HK$500 increase. And a senior executive officer earning HK$79,930 will receive an extra HK$2,400.

Yeung said the Executive Council considered six factors: economic growth, living costs, the government's financial situation, pay trend indicators, civil servants' expectations, and morale.

Although the economy is recovering with a 2.7 percent growth in the first quarter and the living costs are also on the rise, the government is still facing a financial deficit, she said.

"Civil servants' performance over the past year should be recognized," Yeung said.

"But on the other hand, the government has to face financial deficits that have lasted for years, so the 3 percent rise is the most appropriate decision."

She also said civil servants should have "a sense of mission" apart from hoping for higher salaries.

Federation of Civil Service Unions chairman Leung Chau-ting said they are "extremely disappointed," adding that junior civil servants would be "surprised that their efforts could not be rewarded."

Leung said the 3 percent raise was lower than the trend in the private sector, adding that the starting salary for junior officers is only HK$14,700.

He said many civil servants are facing heavier workloads as many departments are reducing manpower after the government cut recurrent public expenditure by 1 percent.

"I believe the government cares more about private employers," Leung said. "When the government has trouble hiring, we have to shoulder other colleagues' workload because government services cannot be cut. Under such circumstances, we all hope to get a reasonable salary in return.

"However, the current pay rise cannot even meet the pay trend survey level, which is a blow to civil servants' morale."

Chinese Civil Servants' Association secretary general Tsoi Koon-lung said union members are disappointed, adding there are 20,000 vacancies in the civil service.

"The 170,000 civil servants are handling the work that is supposed to be shared by 190,000 workers," he said.

Tsoi said the low pay rise may accelerate the brain drain and slow down officer recruitment.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com

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