LCQ10: Implementation of five-day work week by Leisure and Cultural Services Department

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     Following is a question by the Hon Ho Kai-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, in the Legislative Council today (May 8):

Question:
 
     As at September 30 last year, around 75% of civil servants were working on a five-day work week (FDWW) pattern.  Some trade union representatives have relayed that a relatively large number of staff members of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are not arranged to work on a FDWW pattern.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the (i) staffing establishment and (ii) strength of civil servants under LCSD in each of the past three years and, among such civil servants, the number and percentage of those who worked on a FDWW pattern (together with a breakdown by grade and rank); and
 
(2) whether LCSD will arrange all of its staff members to work on a FDWW pattern as soon as possible; if so, of the details; if not, whether the authorities will review the four basic principles with which the various policy bureaux/government departments have to comply in implementing FDWW?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to Hon Ho Kai-ming's question is as follows:
 
(1) According to the statistics provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the establishment, strength and number of civil servants working on a five-day week (FDW) basis as at September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2018 with breakdown by grade are set out in the table below:
 

Grades (Number of civil servants as at
 September 30, 2016)
(Number of civil servants as at
 September 30, 2018)
Establishment Strength Number of officers on FDW Establishment Strength Number of officers on FDW
Directorate grades 12 6 6
(0.1%)
12 11 11
(0.1%)
Departmental grades (Note 1) 3 567 3 512 2 355
(26.9%)
3 723 3 596 2 366
(26%)
General and common grades (Note 2) 4 647 4 403 2 314
(26.4%)
4 805 4 580 2 402
(26.3%)
Model Scale 1 grades (Note 3) 1 214 846 491
(5.6%)
1 213 930 507
(5.6%)
Total: 9 440 8 767 5 166
(58.9%)
9 753 9 117 5 286
(58%)

Figures in brackets denote the percentage of the total number of serving civil servants in the LCSD
 
Note 1: Departmental grades include Amenities Assistant, Cultural Services Assistant, Curator, Leisure Services Manager, Librarian, Manager (Cultural Services), Music Officer and Technical Officer (Cultural Services).
 
Note 2: General and common grades include Accounting Officer, Administrative Officer, Analyst/Programmer, Architect, Artisan, Building Services Engineer, Building Services Inspector, Calligraphist, Clerical Assistant, Clerical Officer, Clerk of Works, Computer Operator, Confidential Assistant, Executive Officer, Information Officer, Laboratory Technician, Maintenance Surveyor, Management Services Officer, Motor Driver, Office Assistant, Official Languages Officer, Personal Secretary, Photographer, Quantity Surveyor, Senior Artisan, Special Driver, Statistical Officer, Statistician, Structural Engineer, Supplies Assistant, Supplies Officer, Supplies Supervisor, Survey Officer, Technical Officer, Training Officer, Transport Services Officer, Treasury Accountant, Typist, Veterinary Laboratory Technician, Veterinary Officer and Works Supervisor.
 
Note 3: Model Scale 1 grades include Supplies Attendant, Workman I and Workman II.
 
(2) The LCSD will continue exploring possible options for wider implementation of FDW subject to the four basic principles (i.e. no additional staffing resources; no reduction in conditioned hours of service of individual staff; no reduction in emergency services; and continued provision of essential counter services on Saturdays/Sundays).  In the past two years (i.e. starting from October 1, 2016), some parks and sports grounds of the LCSD had, after completion of trials, successfully migrated to work on FDW.  For those venues where FDW cannot be implemented due to operational reasons, the LCSD will arrange the staff to work five days a week as far as practicable during overhaul of the venues or seasonal suspension of service.

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