Half-day protest by map staff

About 600 staff at the government Surveying and Mapping Office took a half-day off yesterday to protest against a corporatisation plan.

It was the second time the staff had staged such a protest in less than two months.

A spokesman for the Planning and Lands Bureau said the Lands Department had received applications from more than 600 staff for a half-day's leave.

'The work of the office was not affected as they were not frontline officers,' he said.

The spokesman said it hoped to implement the corporatisation plan by 2001 and staff would be consulted on a compensation package when it was finalised.

'The staff will not be asked to leave compulsorily. They can choose to stay in the civil service,' he said.