Civil servants' starting salaries remain unchanged: government

Survey says civil servants' pay mirrors 3rd quartile levels of market salary.

According to a report, the Acting Chief Executive in Council has accepted recommendations that the starting salaries of civil servants remain unchanged.

The recommendations were made by the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries & Conditions of Service and the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries & Conditions of Service.

The 2012 Starting Salaries Survey - using April 1, 2012, as the reference date - found the existing benchmark pay of most of the civil service qualification groups closely reflected the third quartile levels of market pay.

The commission recommended that, as in the 2009 survey, a holistic approach should be adopted in considering how the survey findings should be applied to civil service basic ranks, having regard to the policy objective to maintain a 'broad comparability' between civil service and private sector pay, the survey’s nature, the attractiveness and stability of civil service pay, the inherent differences between the civil service and the private sector, the inherent discrepancies in statistical surveys, and wider community interest.

Under the holistic approach, the commission recommended that the starting salaries of all civilian civil service grades should remain unchanged. In view of the survey findings, the committee, when consulted by the Government, also recommended no change to the starting salaries of the disciplined services.

Upon considering the stakeholders' views and the wider community interest, the Acting Chief Executive in Council decided that the recommendations be accepted.

Under the Improved Civil Service Pay Adjustment Mechanism, the survey should be conducted on a triennial basis to ascertain whether the prevailing starting salaries of non-directorate civilian civil service grades are broadly comparable with the entry pay of jobs in the private sector requiring similar qualifications.