Police unions walk out of pay talks

The government pay-adjustment mechanism, in place for more than two decades, has been dealt a major blow after three of four police unions decided to pull out in protest against this year's pay rise offer.

The Senior Government Officers' Association last night also wrote to Secretary for Civil Service Paul Tang Kwok-wai demanding a universal pay rise of 4.42 per cent - on a par with inflation - or they might ask the chief executive to set up a committee of inquiry for arbitration. The row, after the announcement of a pay rise of less than 4 per cent for 170,000 civil servants this year, is set to heighten tension between the government and its staff.

At the centre of the controversy is an annual government-commissioned survey that studies pay trends in the private sector, which is among six factors used as reference in adjusting civil servants' pay. It is administered by the Pay Trend Survey Committee, which includes members from business, the government and staff representatives of various salary bands.

The Junior Police Officers' Association (JPOA), the Police Inspectors' Association and the Overseas Inspectors' Association said yesterday they would withdraw from the committee.

The unions represent most of the city's 30,000 police officers. The Superintendents' Association did not join them. JPOA chairman Joe Chan Cho-kwong said it had "unanimous support" from its members to walk out.

The four police unions had earlier refused to endorse this year's survey results, which indicated rises of 3.92 per cent for lower and middle salary bands, and 2.55 per cent for upper bands. The figures fell behind inflation, which is now at 4.2 per cent.

Chan said the unions were demanding an independent mechanism to deal with police pay. "The problem is that there are no comparable data in the private market that could give reference to police officers' salaries."