Fair comparison: Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong says a pay-level survey for the civil service will be conducted this year to ascertain whether civil service pay is broadly comparable to private sector pay.

A pay-level survey for the civil service will be conducted this year to ascertain whether civil service pay is broadly comparable to private sector pay, Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong has announced.

Mr Wong said the survey is a technical, fact-finding exercise to ascertain whether there are any differences in the pay levels of the civil service and the private sector.

He expected the results will be available before the end of this year.

The Government will consider the application of the pay-level survey results in due course after the conclusion of the proceedings in the Court of Final Appeal on the appeals in relation to the judicial review applications concerning the civil service pay-reduction legislation.

However, Mr Wong pointed out that the consultation paper published last year had already suggested that serving officers would not have their salary cut even if the results show their pay is higher than in the private sector.

Public views fully considered

The secretary said the survey will use the methodology recommended by the Phase One Consultant that was refined following the consultation in November 2004.

"We are satisfied the survey methodology serves the purpose of an objective, professional and credible pay-level survey," he said.

The methodology had taken full account of the relevant policy considerations, the views of the Steering Committee and the Consultative Group on Civil Service Pay Adjustment Mechanism as well as the feedback received in the recent extensive consultation, he added. 

The field work will start immediately with a view to capturing the pay adjustments in the private sector up to April 1. It will include inspections of civil service benchmark jobs, and analysis of pay data to be collected from the private sector.

The Civil Service Bureau will shortly select and appoint a professional consultant to carry out the survey field work in accordance with established procurement procedures.

Survey to be professional, impartial

"The survey consultant to be appointed will be required to ensure the survey field work is conducted in a professional and impartial manner. At the same time, staff representatives at different levels will have an opportunity to participate in the job inspections for civil service benchmark jobs," Mr Wong said.

The Government has decided that no pay-trend survey will be conducted for 2004-05. It will also consider the future of the pay-trend survey under the improved civil service pay-adjustment mechanism.

The upcoming survey marks an important milestone in the ongoing exercise to develop an improved civil service pay-adjustment mechanism, Mr Wong stressed.

The conduct of periodic pay-level surveys will form an integral part of the improved mechanism now under development.

Consultation history

A two-month extensive consultation was launched in November 2004 on a consultation paper which sets out the Phase One Consultant's proposals regarding the methodology of the pay-level survey and the bureau's proposals on the general approach for the application of the survey results. Ninety-one written submissions were received.