Further to my letter dated 24 April 2007, I write to inform you of the findings of the 2006 Starting Salaries Survey conducted alongside the 2006 pay level survey.
Earlier today, the Chief Executive-in-Council endorsed the findings of the 2006 Starting Salaries Survey and their application to the civil service. Very briefly, the starting salaries of some civilian grades and most disciplined grades will be increased by one to at most five pay points. The starting salaries of other grades will remain unchanged. There is no grade whose starting salary will be adjusted downwards.
The upward revision in starting salaries for the concerned civilian and disciplined grades will affect those civil servants who joined the entry ranks of these grades on or after 1 April 2000 and who are still serving in the entry ranks. In general, the salary of the affected civil servants, if it is below the revised starting salary for their respective ranks, will be brought up to the same level as the revised starting salary. The salary of the affected civil servants, if it is the same or higher than the revised starting salary for their respective ranks, will be increased by one pay point subject to the maximum pay point of the concerned ranks.
We will put the revised starting salaries and the salary adjustment arrangement for affected serving civil servants to the Establishment Subcommittee and the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council (LegCo) for endorsement and approval in the coming weeks. The revised starting salaries will come into being on the first day of the month immediately following LegCo's approval.
To ensure that civil service entry pay stays closely in line with that in the private sector, we will conduct a Starting Salaries Survey every three years. With the conduct of such surveys on a regular basis, starting salaries of all grades will in future be adjusted in tandem with the annual civil service pay adjustment exercise, and all reference pay scales will be abolished.
For more detailed information on the 2006 Starting Salaries Survey, please refer to the LegCo Brief issued today (accessible at www.csb.gov.hk) or consult your departmental management.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your continued support.