We have to adhere to the principle of financial prudence. The Exco has sufficiently considered these factors when deciding on the pay rise.
“We note that the pay offer is in some way behind the net pay trend survey indicators, but, as a whole, we believe this is an appropriate decision for this year.”
The pay survey findings, announced last month, based on trends at 113 private companies covering 134,376 employees over the past year, suggested increments of 4.01 per cent for high-ranking civil servants, 4.32 per cent for middle-level ones and 5.47 per cent for junior workers.
But human resources experts have said the findings failed to reflect commercial reality as salaries have gone up by between 3.3 per cent and 3.5 per cent this year.
The decision on civil service pay took into account six factors – the city’s economic growth, the increased cost of living, trends in the private labour market, the government’s financial situation, the wishes of staff and civil service morale.