The largest staff union has demanded that pensionable appointments for civil servants be retained. The Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants' Association yesterday released counterproposals to the Government's reforms on appointments, disciplinary proceedings and the linking of pay to performance. The association's document suggested that contract terms should only supplement pension appointments rather than replacing them. Unionists also warned that the conditions for implementing performance pay were lacking. 'While overseas experience has yet to prove its practicability, careful consideration is needed before implementation.' The association said that the weaknesses of the civil service were mainly due to management problems and inadequate training rather than the system itself. It warned against mirroring private sector practices, which it said might not suit the public service needs. The Civil Service Bureau is to launch more in-depth discussions on the proposals with the staff side after the three-month consultation wraps up on June 8.