Senior Hong Kong civil servants set for special 3 per cent pay rise
Government-commissioned survey finds that senior staff are paid 8pc less than in private sector; unions unhappy over proposed increase
About 3,400 senior civil servants should get a pay rise of 3 per cent to narrow the earnings gap with their counterparts in the private sector, government advisers suggested in a report submitted to the chief executive yesterday.
The proposed wage increase would be on top of annual rises the Civil Service Bureau has lined up for lawmakers' approval. In the latest proposal, only employees at job level five - earning between HK$89,565 and HK$103,190 a month - would have their pay adjusted.
The additional adjustment is based on a survey the government-appointed Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service commissioned last year to compare wages in the private and public sectors. Some 128 companies were polled. The survey is conducted every six years.
"Keeping the competitiveness of civil servants' pay is important to maintaining [the government's] effectiveness," said commission chairman Dr Wilfred Wong.
The city has about 170,000 civil servants, of whom 3,400 are on job level five, which is just below directorate grades.