<轉載自2013年6月13日 明報 社評>
公務員團體不滿今年加薪幅度，他們主要「發現」薪酬調查趨勢未能與時俱進，認為計算私人機構薪酬出現偏差，拖低了薪酬趨勢淨指標，對公務員不公平，要求政府檢討機制和計算私人機構薪酬的方法。公務員加薪機制在1960年代確立，距今接近半個世紀，隨着時代、環境轉變，確有檢討必要；不過，公務員要認知公衆對他們的期望已有不同，為消弭與公衆的隔閡，公務員應該接受一併檢討例如引入獎優罰劣等調薪機制，以優化公務員體制，更好地服務市民。
公務員不滿加幅施壓 政府屈服將派糖息事寧人？
公務員團體不滿加薪幅度而採取的行動，迄今包括幾個紀律部隊員方組織宣布退出薪酬趨勢調查委員會，高級公務員評議會將向特首建議成立仲裁委員會檢視加幅，聲言若未能透過仲裁調整薪酬加幅，會採取「不合作態度」云云，取態不同，對政府施壓則一致。行政會議雖然頂住壓力，決定按薪酬趨勢淨指標加薪，不過，有兩件事是否反映政府向公務員團體屈服，值得注意。
首先，政務司長林鄭月娥以署理行政長官身分向公務員示好，除了解釋政府就加幅有考慮淨指標以外的其他5項因素，話鋒一轉，讚揚公務員「非常盡心盡力協助」特首施政，無論特首和她都向公務員「衷心感謝」，又承諾會加強公務員事務局與公務員代表的溝通，包括人手配套和福利事宜，政府會作積極回應云云。以林鄭月娥的身分講這些話，公務員團體這次「發脾氣」而有所得，自不待言。
其次，公務員事務局長鄧國威講過「高級公務員的承受能力較高」的話，被公務員團體代表咬住不放。嚴格而言，這句話屬於中性，卻被解讀為打壓公務員，日前鄧國威與公務員團體會面時，要特地就「一些不合適言論」致歉。堂堂局長連事實陳述也得咎，若目的為息事寧人，則也對照出公務員團體能量銳利，政府不敢攫其鋒。
其實，政府按既定機制處理公務員加薪，只是公務員團體得知今年淨指標不利之後，就一直強調其他5項因素，要求加幅高過淨指標，對此，連與紀律部隊素有淵源的行政會議成員葉劉淑儀都認為公務員不應該「輸打贏要」；至於公衆取態，連日來電台一些時事節目，不少市民致電表達意見，大多不認同公務員團體的訴求，更有指摘公務員「貪得無厭」。
所以，方法上，政府的做法無可議之處，社會輿論方面，政府並未遭受壓力，於此有利景况，政府仍然要對公務員致歉和承諾給予好處，以圖平息事件，盡顯弱勢政府的實質。正因為事態如此不正常，日後政府會否向公務員傾斜，增加納稅人負擔，就值得關注。
過去兩年，公務員加薪幅度都超過通脹，社會輿論不以為然，公務員認為無問題，今年薪酬趨勢淨指標低過通脹，公務員團體表示按現行機制只計算私人機構現金支付的底薪和花紅，但是他們發現現在私人機構有第三種發放薪酬的做法，包括以公司股票、認股權證等方式獎勵員工，他們認為這是今年淨指標偏低的原因。
一些私人機構以非現金方式獎勵員工，過去早有聽聞，而公務員團體代表認為始於去年，相信他們有一定依據，不過，值得注意的是即使在私人機構，這種獎勵方式並非人人有份，一定是表現卓越的員工才獲得如斯優渥獎賞，幾家歡喜幾家愁，一些表現欠佳、業績未能達標的員工，或許已被私人機構解僱，要另謀高就。獲納入薪酬調查趨勢的私人機構，絕大多數是盈利能力最強的公司，然後政府在這樣的基礎上做最佳僱主，這就是公務員薪酬、福利待遇一直被人羡慕的原因，按公務員團體代表的「發現」，若日後把「第三種薪酬」納入計算，而不管有關私人機構的特定因素，則得出的薪酬趨勢淨指標有可能猛然扯高，屆時公務員加薪幅度將高到怎樣的程度，難以想像。
1960年代以來，香港歷經加工業、轉口貿易、服務業、現代服務業以至旅遊、金融業等產業轉型，由山寨工廠發展至跨國大企業林立，公司營運、管理確實有翻天覆地變化，公務員加薪機制近50年來改變不大，公務員團體代表提出檢討機制，完全正確和有必要，不過，迄今只聽聞他們說要計算私人機構的「第三種薪酬」，設若如此，這樣的檢討大大不足。
近年，每有公務員薪酬福利爭議，公衆與公務員多處於對立面，公務員的工作和服務備受指摘，而公務員團體辯解時則顯示十分委屈，強調他們如何努力工作提供服務。不過，現實上許多部門的工作表現使市民很失望，例如新界丁屋僭建尾大不掉，是地政總署、規劃署以至屋宇署長期工作失誤的結果；電梯事故一再發生，與機電署監管不力有關；南丫島海難，獨立調查委員會披露海事處長期因循苟且、有法不依，被認為是導致39人遇難的原因。這些活生生例子，使公務員團體表示他們如何枵腹從公，顯得蒼白無力。
機制獎不到罰不得 公務員體系必然異化
我們相信大多數公務員都竭力服務市民，但是公務員加薪一刀切，與工作表現並沒有明顯而直接的關係，以至出現「工作辛勤努力者，無機制獎賞；工作馬虎苟且者，無機制懲罰」的畸形情况，必然會使公務員異化，因為一個人加入公務員隊伍之初，即使有滿腔熱誠，但是當發現「做與不做一個樣」的時候，誰還會暴露在辛勤勞動之中？這個異化怪圈，只會侵蝕公務員隊伍的肌體，挫損公務員積極進取的動力。所以，檢討公務員調薪機制，除了計算薪酬趨勢，不但要完善衡工量值的評估機制，更須制訂有效的「獎優罰劣」機制，才可以讓優秀的公務員得到好好獎勵，怠忽職守的害群之馬則要嚴懲，制止公務員體系異化，使公務員成為社會進步的推動力量。
Editorial
Civil Service Pay Adjustments
THE CIVIL SERVICE unions' dissatisfaction with the pay increase offer this year has materialised into action. To date, several disciplined services unions have announced their withdrawal from the Pay Trend Survey Committee, and the Senior Government Officers Association is asking the Chief Executive to form an arbitration committee to review the pay increase offer, warning that their members will adopt an "uncooperative attitude" if the arbitration results are unsatisfactory. The Executive Council has resisted all this pressure and followed the net pay trend indicators in finalising the pay offer. However, two things are worthy of notice since they may be indicative of whether or not the government is bending to the unions' will.
First, in her capacity as Acting Chief Executive, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor tried to court civil servants by praising them for helping the Chief Executive in his administration "with all their heart and soul", for which she as well as the Chief Executive is "heartily thankful". She also undertook to strengthen communications between the Civil Service Bureau and civil servants' representatives, and to respond positively to requests related to manpower deployment, fringe benefits, etc.
And for his innocent remark that "senior civil servants are in a better position to bear the burden (of inflation)," Secretary for the Civil Service Paul Tang Kwok-wai is accused of high-handedness towards civil servants, and a few days ago he apologised for his "improper remarks". Evidently, civil service unions are so powerful that the government has to back away from a confrontation with them.
Civil servants' pay increases have always been based on a pay adjustment mechanism. But after finding that this year's net pay trend indicators are not in their favour, the civil service unions have switched their emphasis to the other five pay adjustment factors, demanding a pay increase level higher than what is warranted by the net pay trend indicators. Recently, many citizens have called radio current affairs programmes to express their disapproval of the civil service unions' demands, which some people describe as "insatiable".
In recent years, when there are disputes over civil servants' pay or fringe benefits, civil servants and the public tend to hold diametrically opposed views, and in response to widespread public criticism of their members' work, the civil service unions have always declared, in an aggrieved manner, that their members work very hard. The fact, however, is that the performance of many government departments leaves much to be desired. For instance, New Territories small houses are riddled with illegal structures, which have become almost an insurmountable problem, thanks to the Lands Department, the Planning Department, and the Buildings Department, which have all failed to discharge their duties all these years. There have also been a number of lift accidents recently, thanks to the lack of supervision on the part of the Electrical and Mechanical Services. And with regard to the Lamma sea disaster, the Commission of Enquiry concluded that the Marine Department had long been careless in its work and inattentive to regulations, as a result of which 39 people lost their lives. In the light of all these concrete examples, the civil service unions' protestations of hard work appear rather unconvincing.
Therefore, a review of civil servants' pay adjustment mechanism should not only take into account pay trends in the private sector, but also introduce a reward and penalty system tied effectively to work performance, so that civil servants may be adequately rewarded or punished according to their deserts. This will help to mould the civil service into a driving force for social progress.
公務員團體不滿今年加薪幅度，採取的行動，迄今包括幾個紀律部隊員方組織宣布退出薪酬趨勢調查委員會，高級公務員評議會將向特首建議成立仲裁委員會檢視加幅，聲言若未能透過仲裁調整薪酬加幅，會採取「不合作態度」云云。行政會議雖然頂住壓力，決定按薪酬趨勢淨指標加薪，不過，有兩件事是否反映政府向公務員團體屈服，值得注意。
首先，政務司長林鄭月娥以署理行政長官身分向公務員示好，讚揚公務員「非常盡心盡力協助」特首施政，無論特首和她都向公務員「衷心感謝」，又承諾會加強公務員事務局與公務員代表的溝通，包括人手配套和福利事宜，政府會作積極回應云云。
其實，政府按既定機制處理公務員加薪，只是公務員團體得知今年淨指標不利之後，就一直強調其他5項因素，要求加幅高過淨指標，對此，連日來電台一些時事節目，不少市民致電表達意見，大多不認同公務員團體的訴求，更有指摘公務員「貪得無厭」。
近年，每有公務員薪酬福利爭議，公衆與公務員多處於對立面，公務員的工作和服務備受指摘，而公務員團體辯解時則顯示十分委屈，強調他們如何努力工作提供服務。不過，現實上許多部門的工作表現使市民很失望，例如新界丁屋僭建尾大不掉，是地政總署、規劃署以至屋宇署長期工作失誤的結果；電梯事故一再發生，與機電署監管不力有關；南丫島海難，獨立調查委員會披露海事處長期因循苟且、有法不依，被認為是導致39人遇難的原因。這些活生生例子，使公務員團體表示他們如何枵腹從公，顯得蒼白無力。
所以，檢討公務員調薪機制，除了計算薪酬趨勢，更須制訂有效的「獎優罰劣」機制，才可以讓優秀的公務員得到好好獎勵，怠忽職守的害群之馬則要嚴懲，使公務員成為社會進步的推動力量。
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