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Our Ref. : BP 6/25
9 September 2002
Dear Colleagues,
2003 Civil Service Pay Adjustment
I am writing to inform you of my intention to set up a working group involving staff representatives to discuss the handling of the 2003 civil service pay adjustment and related issues.
During the past weeks, I had the opportunity to meet with the staff sides of several central consultative councils, major service-wide staff unions as well as a wide spectrum of civil servants to discuss various issues concerning the management of the civil service. One of the issues that was constantly brought up during our discussions was next year's civil service pay adjustment.
I would like to inform colleagues that we have not yet embarked on the 2003 civil service pay adjustment exercise or the 2002-03 Pay Trend Survey. In view of colleagues' interest in this subject, I consider it beneficial to engage staff representatives in discussions to examine in greater detail all relevant considerations and to explore the feasibility and practicality of different options before the Administration takes a final view on the way forward. The feedback received during these discussions would facilitate the Administration in coming to a decision that would take full account of the interests of all concerned parties.
To this end, I have today invited the staff sides of the central consultative councils as well as the four major service-wide staff unions to participate in a working group to discuss the handling of the 2003 civil service pay adjustment and related issues. The working group will be chaired by my colleague, Mrs Jessie Ting, Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service. It will aim to convene its first meeting later this month and to complete its discussions by early November 2002. In the light of the outcome of the discussions in the working group and taking account of all other relevant factors, the Chief Executive in Council will in line with the usual practice take a decision on the approach we should adopt for next year's civil service pay adjustment. I am sure you will appreciate that the final decision taken by the Government on next year's pay adjustment will have full regard to the overall interest of Hong Kong.
I shall write again to keep you posted on the developments in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
(Joseph W P Wong)
Secretary for the Civil Service
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