Unionists seek end to civil service recruitment freeze
Civil service unionists have urged the financial secretary to lift the recruitment freeze amid hopes that a balanced budget will be achieved earlier than planned.
Although the target of reducing the civil service headcount to 160,000 has yet to be realised, the Federation of Civil Service Unions says it is time to resume across-the-board recruitment.
Various departments, including Civil Aviation and Inland Revenue, have already submitted requests for government approval for new recruitment in the next financial year.
The civil service is being cut from its peak of 198,000 staff in 2000 to 160,000 by 2006-07.
Despite the general recruitment freeze, departments can still employ new staff with special approval from a panel involving the chief secretary, the financial secretary and the civil service secretary.
Civil Service Bureau figures show the number of posts had fallen to 164,145 by December last year, but the number of staff has dropped to 156,946.
Federation of Civil Service Unions president Leung Chau-ting said the government should resume recruitment across the board in view of the economic upturn.
'The government is likely to restore a budget balance earlier than expected, so it is time to lift the recruitment freeze.'
Mr Leung, a clerical officer, said the grade he worked under had shrunk from 25,000 to only 20,000 workers. 'Many departments have complained that they don't have enough supporting clerical staff.'
There was no need for the government to wait until the headcount fell below 160,000 before considering dropping the freeze, he said.
A Civil Service Bureau spokesman said the recruitment freeze was still being enforced. Recruitment submissions were still subject to approval at central level.
