The Secretary for the Civil Service has called for discussions on commissioning a pay-level survey to decide future civil service salaries.

After meeting with the eight civil-service unions, Joseph Wong said a working group would reconvene to discuss the next pay adjustment, and look at the possibility of devising a new pay-adjustment mechanism based on the existing one but with modifications.

Meanwhile, three forums have been organised for early January to garner feedback on the 2003 pay adjustment for Government staff.

In a letter issued on December 30  to all civil servants on the 2003 pay adjustment, Mr Wong said staff representatives of the departmental consultative committees on the pay issue would attend the forums.

Earlier, Mr Wong said the existing pay-trend survey should not be undertaken next year until a comprehensive review is carried out, in view of recent concerns, comments and criticisms made against it.

"We should instead commence discussions on commissioning a pay-level survey as soon as possible. How should we go about doing the pay-level survey, what methodology we should use and the timetable are all matters the working group could consider," he said.

A pay-trend survey measures the movement of salaries on a year-on-year basis, while a pay-level survey compares the level of salaries between the Government and the private sector.

"We have not done a pay-level survey for many years. Therefore, if we do not do a pay-level survey, there is no basis to confirm that the pay trend, which is a movement of salaries, is indeed based on the same level.

"It may be over the years the pay level of the private sector and the pay level of the Government have changed so substantially that they become rather inadequate and inappropriate to simply decide pay adjustment on the basis of the movement of salaries which are in fact based on different levels."

He added that the working group could also study how the new mechanism could be made lawful, and whether or not it should be legislated.

"I intend to convene the first meeting of the working group early next year and make a progress report to the Chief Executive by the end of January. I hope the report will contain some progress on certain principles which we may or may not agree to among ourselves, and also progress on the timetable," he said.

Mr Wong said he did not sense opposition from civil-service colleagues, although some of them had expressed concerns that the Government seemed to be moving very fast on this issue. "But as I have told them, we are indeed facing a very serious problem."

The Chief Executive has also told the civil service that it should get on with it as quickly as possible.

"I have also impressed on them that the Government has no preconceived ideas, first of all, on the pay adjustment and secondly, on how do we go about with the pay level survey," Mr Wong said.

"I believe with good will on both sides and with joint commitment that we should address the serious problem, we would be able to make progress in the working group."