Should the government end the civil service pay freeze imposed last year? Several lawmakers think it should (stories in HKFP, Standard).
Persistent budget deficits suggest that expenditure needs to be trimmed, or revenues increased. It would be useful to know whether (as most people suspect) public-sector remuneration is significantly bloated compared with the private sector. But officials never propose a serious benchmarking exercise* to find out. Instead, civil service pay is routinely adjusted according to a formula that tracks pay in the private sector – ignoring the possibility that the base levels themselves are mismatched.
That said, we might suspect that officials’ willingness to implement a freeze was an implicit admission that the civil servants are, indeed, overpaid.
In a more representative system, we might expect an objective review of whether or how much public-sector pay levels exceed those in the rest of the workforce. Instead, this will continue to be a political decision driven by fear of ‘bad morale’ – which is perhaps code for a perceived need to buy loyalty among government staff.
China Media Project looks at a survey showing strong support for Xi Jinping among foreigners…
According to follow-up reports by the Global Times and other state media, the survey “selected some important concepts from Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想), and asked foreign respondents for their opinions. Nearly 80 percent reportedly endorsed “building a community with a shared future for mankind” (构建人类命运共同体) and the even more mystifying “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (绿水青山就是金山银山), the Global Times reports. More than 70 percent approve of “comprehensively governing the party with strict discipline” (全面从严治党), “comprehensive deepening of reform” (全面深化改革), and “putting people at the center” (以人民为中心) — all concepts highly specific to the CCP political context and likely to draw blank stares from all but specialists in PRC political discourse.
How did the Global Times survey team manage to obtain such positive general feedback on what are decidedly political obscurities?
And CNN marks the 10th anniversary of the ending of China’s one-child policy.
Civil servants get THREE kinds of pay raises.
1. Every civil servant gets an annual pay lift as he moves up within his respective pay grade until he hits the ceiling within that pay grade.
2. Every civil servant who is promoted to a higher pay grade gets an uplift when he graduates to the next pay grade.
3. Every civil servant gets a pay increase when the entire structure is adjusted upwards by a certain percentage (which is what we’re talking about here).
So even without a structural adjustment of, say, 3%, every civil servant still gets two other bites at the cherry every year.
On top of which, many of the civil service positions are overpaid by 50% or more compared to the private sector.
On top of which, civil service job security is virtually guaranteed.
On top of which, banks queue up to give mortgages to civil servants.
You mean it doesn’t work that way in the private sector?
@Milton Bradley – and don’t forget the defined benefits pension!
The government’s pay trend survey focuses on big companies. Their pay may not be typical of the whole economy at times when many SMEs are struggling to survive.
@Milton Bradley
Great supplemental info. They are such useless leaches.
https://hongkongfp.com/2026/01/05/top-hong-kong-govt-adviser-calls-for-end-to-civil-servants-pay-freeze/
Tien and Chong refer at least to need for a review of the system while Martin Liao is more specific
“The pay freeze applied to public servants, including LAWMAKERS, judges, the chief executive, and the entire civil service.”
So, the parties are effectively pushing for more tax payer largesse for ExCo, Leggers and DCs, some of whom have never held down a real job and with questionable expertise. Bear in mind that members of the larger political parties are frequently parachuted into high government positions with salaries often multiple times their already far too generous, and disproportionate to the general civilian wage structure, remunerations.
Alice Mak leapt from $100,000++ to $300,000++ per month overnight when appointed to Home Affairs.
There is no mechanism in place to evaluate the performance of the political appointees.
Even when they are found wanting, as in the case of Casper Tsui, remember party-gate, they are soon rehomed with a government friendly organization.
So the wheel goes round, and round.
And they queue jump (legally) at public hospitals.
Get Nick Shirley on the case. And he ain’t posting on Bluesky.