NETs to get windfall with increase in special allowance plus back pay

Teachers on the government's NET scheme will receive a HK$10,360 windfall payment with their monthly salary cheque next week after the Education Bureau approved a 10 per cent increase in the programme's special allowance.

The increase from HK$12,950 to HK$14,245 in the allowance paid to native English-speaking teachers takes effect this month and is backdated to August last year, with the backlog due to be paid with this month's salary.

The outcome of a review demanded by the Native English Speaking Teachers Association (Nesta) two years ago, it reflects average rent increases in 2007 but comes as rents fall and the economy contracts due to the global financial crisis.

Nesta has greeted the news with delight and its social secretary is inviting members of the benefits and welfare committee, who bargained with the government, to a celebratory dinner at Ivan the Kozak restaurant in SoHo tonight.

Nesta chairman Dave Stead said: 'We are very happy that under the present circumstances the bureau has carried through with an increase. We feel it shows that the bureau is keeping faith with the NETs and the NET scheme.

'It would be better to have a more responsive system so that we don't end up in one economic cycle with a claim from another one. But there has already been an improvement in morale among NETs and I expect the lump sum will be very well received.'

Committee chairwoman Lee Weston said: 'Nets have been having incredibly high rents with a very low allowance over the last couple of years and I think we did a fairly good job to get that amount of money under the circumstances.'