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The Fire Services Department (FSD) has completed its staff opinion survey to obtain staff views on the proposal to reduce the conditioned working hours of the Fire Stream members from 54 to 51 hours per week (the "51 Proposal"). The survey results were announced at the Fire Services Departmental Consultative Committee (FSDCC) meeting held today (May 17).
An FSD spokesman said that the FSD management had informed the FSDCC's staff side members of the results of the staff opinion survey on the "51 Proposal" at the meeting of the Committee held today. Of some 4 700 completed questionnaires received, about 62 per cent of the respondents did not recommend implementing a trial scheme under the "51 Proposal". After considering the views of the concerned staff members, the FSD management has decided not to put the "51 Proposal" on trial.
The FSD management has been actively exploring with the staff side and policy bureaux concerned the feasibility of gradually reducing the conditioned hours of work of Fire Stream members, having regard to the three pre-requisites of "cost-neutrality", "no additional manpower" and "maintaining the same level of service to the public". The FSD introduced the "51 Proposal" in mid-March and conducted a large-scale staff opinion survey from mid-March to mid-April. Views on the said proposal were invited from all fire officers and firemen in the operational, marine and control streams as well as their staff unions.
"The FSD will continue to explore with the concerned staff associations and staff members the feasibility of gradually reducing the conditioned hours of work of Fire Stream members having regard to the three pre-requisites," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, in response to the request of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staffs General Association for holding a quadripartite meeting with the Security Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau and the FSD to discuss the conditioned hours of work of Fire Stream members, the Administration is actively following up on the request.
"We hope that the quadripartite meeting could be held towards the end of May or in early June when the staff and management as well as the concerned policy bureaux could meet to exchange views on the matter further," the spokesman said.
Ends/Thursday, May 17, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:22
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