Civil servant pay offers made

June 04, 2013

The Government has made pay offers, to take effect retrospectively from April 1, to the staff sides of the four civil-service central consultative councils, Secretary for the Civil Service Paul Tang announced today.
 
Briefing reporters, Mr Tang said civil servants in the lower and middle salary bands were offered 3.92% pay increases, while those in the upper salary band and directorate were offered  2.55%  rises. The increases follow the net pay trend indicators for the respective salary bands.
 
He said the Chief Executive in Council decided the pay offers having regard to the net pay trend indicators derived from the recently completed 2013 Pay Trend Survey findings, the state of Hong Kong's economy, changes in the cost of living, the Government's fiscal position, the staff sides' pay claims and civil service morale.
 
Mr Tang also said the Government is acting according to a well-tested mechanism which has been operating for about 20 years. It is not linked with inflation, he said, adding 13 times the increases were higher than the inflation rate, and eight times they were lower. The inflation rate in the last year was 3.7%, and it was close to the pay increases for civil servants in the lower and middle salary bands.
 
Mr Tang said the Government attaches importance to morale, but it must act according to the mechanism. 
 
"Apart from pay trend annual adjustment, there are other issues that we should do in order to uphold the morale of civil service, which will include providing extra manpower, or maybe other fringe benefits, as well as increasing communications between management of the departments and the staff."
 
The Chief Executive in Council will consider the staff sides' response to the pay offers, and then make a final decision on the 2013-14 civil-service pay adjustment. If necessary, the Government will seek approval from the Legislative Council Finance Committee.