Editorial | Hong Kong’s civil servants deserve a pay rise
- Proposed increases are reasonable and in line with long-standing mechanism to determine salaries in the public sector
The adjustment of civil service salaries has always been controversial. It is no different this year, as the public mood is still affected by economic uncertainties.
Even though the proposed figures derived from a long-standing mechanism appear to be reasonable, there is resistance from the private sector. With staff morale still low and the post-Covid recovery fragile, the government is walking a tightrope.
The annual pay trend survey has been a good reference over the years. Based on the data collected from 108 companies over the past 12 months, the survey suggested increments of 2.87 per cent for top civil servants, 4.65 per cent for those in the middle ranks and 4.5 per cent for junior staff.
In line with the previous practice to align the figures of the middle and lower bands, the majority of the 180,000-strong civil service may be awarded a pay rise of 4.65 per cent, while the top tier may be given an increase of 2.87 per cent.
The actual levels are to be determined by the Executive Council, taking into account factors such as the state of the economy, the cost of living, the government’s fiscal position and the staff’s views.
In reality, the government has seldom deviated from the pay trend figures, except when facing unusual circumstances. For instance, government salaries were frozen for two years during the pandemic.