In this March 2, 2020 photo, civil servants donning face masks enter the Central Government Complex in Hong Kong. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Executive Council agreed that this year’s salary increase for senior civil servants would be 2.87 percent, while that for middle and lower-level civil servants would be 4.65 percent, retrospective from April 1, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said on Tuesday.  

Leung Chau-ting, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions, said that the salary increase for middle and junior civil servants meets the requirements and is believed to have had a positive effect on morale

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will listen to the views of four consultative councils on civil servants’ affairs on Wednesday before deciding on the final rates of increase. 

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Yeung said that the increase for senior and middle-level civil servants this year is consistent with the net index of salary trend, while the increase for directorate civil servants corresponds with that of senior civil servants. 

She reiterated that the Executive Council has fully considered factors affecting civil service pay adjustments. 

Yeung added that the HKSAR government attracts those who are interested in serving society through their remuneration while increasing opportunities for civil servants to grow and enrich their experiences.

Leung Chau-ting, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions, said that the salary increase for middle and junior civil servants meets the requirements and is believed to have had a positive effect on morale. 

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Leung added that the increase for senior civil servants is still not satisfactory, noting that the government did not follow the salary trend survey index to increase civil servants’ pay, worrying that it may accelerate the manpower shortage in this sector.

The Government Employees Association said it believes the increase is acceptable, but it hopes that the government would set a uniform salary increase of 5 percent, to restore and boost the morale of civil servants, especially those in senior positions. 

Contact the writer at mikegu@chinadailyhk.com