Pay rise offers ranging from 5.29% to 6.3%, with effect from April 1, have been made to the staff sides of the four central consultative councils in the civil service.

The Civil Service Bureau said today the Chief Executive-in-Council will consider the staffs' response and then make a final decision on the 2008-09 civil service pay adjustment. The Government will then make a submission to the Legislative Council for approval.

The pay offer for directorate and upper salary band civil servants is 6.3% while that for middle and lower salary bands is 5.29%.

The offers were decided by the Chief Executive-in-Council taking into account:

* the net pay trend indicators in the recent Pay Trend Survey;

* the economy;

* the Government's fiscal position;

* changes in the cost of living;

* staff pay claims; and,

* civil service morale.

The pay offers for directorate officers and upper salary band civil servants, and those in the middle salary band, are the same as the net pay trend indicator, the bureau said.

The offer for the lower salary band has been brought up to the net pay trend indicator for the middle salary band. This is because the CE-in-Council has decided to invoke the "bring-up" arrangement.

Introduced in 1989, the arrangement allows the pay adjustment rate for civil servants in the lower salary band, subject to the decision of the CE-in-Council, to be brought up to the net pay trend indicator for the middle salary band if the net pay trend indicator for the former is lower than the latter.