Disciplined services' pay hopes dented
The chairman of the committee that is reviewing the pay of the disciplined services said yesterday that the government could not fulfil all the salary requests from unions, including standardising the pay of the various branches.
The police, customs, fire and ambulance services, Correctional Services Department, Immigration Department and Government Flying Service are the official disciplined services. The Independent Commission Against Corruption is also considered a de facto disciplined service.
Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, chairman of the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service, said no big change would be introduced to the pay structure of disciplined services in the near future.
'I am confident that the government will submit a reasonable proposal on disciplined services pay,' Cheung said.
'Probably it can respond to most requests from disciplined services. But not all the requests can be fulfilled.'
A report on a grade-structure review of the services released last November included recommendations of salary increments for all disciplined services, but proposed pay increases were deferred until the economy stabilised, and there was no date given for any retrospective implementation of the increases.
As to whether the pay rise would be backdated to November, when the committee released its report, or this April, the beginning of the financial year - hopes expressed by members of the disciplined services - Cheung said yesterday that this was a decision for the government.
The Executive Council would discuss the issue of disciplined-services pay very soon, Cheung said.
He added that no further review would be carried out after the government submitted a proposal to Exco this month or next on actions following the review. 'There is no reason for further review on this.'
He believed that the government took into consideration the needs of the disciplined services and society.
The chairman of the Police Inspectors' Association, Tony Liu Kit-ming, said it demanded a firm answer on the pay issue, rather than some confusing opinions.
On the controversial issue of possible protests, Liu said police unions would need to hold further meetings to discuss whatever action might be needed in response to the government's forthcoming proposal.
'We might not need to stage a protest on the street, but we have a strategy on how properly to reflect our views to the public.'
