Civil service unions yesterday appealed to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to 'break the ice' with them, although they maintained they still intended to take legal action over a planned pay cut for 180,000 members. They also said they would make no further public comments on the issue until the end of next month, when they expect to take the matter to court. Wong Wai-hung, spokesman of the Joint Committee of the Disciplined Services Staff Unions/Associations, said civil service unions had asked to meet Mr Tung on the pay-cut issue in the past, but the offer had been rejected. 'The relationship between the government and the civil servants is now at a very low [point]. We can say that we are in the Ice Age. We are open. We are waiting for the government to do something to break the ice. 'Of course we think the Chief Executive should do something. I think it's up to his advisers on what he should do,' Mr Wong said after a meeting of the Joint Committee. He promised the staff side would give a positive response if Mr Tung made overtures, saying the Joint Committee will continue to participate in the upcoming consultation on pay policy and system review. The Joint Committee decided to set up a bank account this week to start a collection fund for a lawsuit against the pay-cut bill passed last week. The unions are expected to seek a judicial declaration in the Court of First Instance at the end of next month on whether the legislation has breached the Basic Law. Article 160 says contracts, rights and obligations valid under the law previously in force in Hong Kong shall continue to be valid. Mr Wong said the Joint Committee would wait for the outcome of the legal battle and refrain from making public comments on the pay-cut issue. Liu Kit-ming, chairman of the Local Inspectors' Association, said four police groups had raised $1.28 million so far. The action would go ahead if they raised $1.35 million, a level which is equivalent to half of their 27,000 members agreeing to a court action assuming each donated $100. Meanwhile, Mr Liu accused non-affiliated legislator Andrew Wong Wang-fat of making a U-turn on his private promise to unions that he would oppose the bill. 'I have known him for more than 20 years. He changed his stance without giving any reason. He has taught me a political lesson. There are no permanent friends or enemies. It all depends if there are any [vested] interests,' he said. Mr Liu regretted that the so-called Breakfast Group of independents had mistakenly believed his criticisms were targeted at them. Mr Wong, who originally opposed the bill, said he reconsidered his stance because it had faced possible defeat. He denied Mr Liu's accusation, but said he respected freedom of speech. 'I did not change my mind at the eleventh hour. I publicly announced I changed my stance one week before the bill was voted on.' The civil service group has not talked to him since, he said. 'No body has lobbied me. The pay cut cannot be implemented if it is defeated. My support for the bill should not deserve this disrespect. He [Mr Liu] should not treat me as an enemy,' he said.
