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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council Commission has approved the introduction of five-day week in the Legislative Council Secretariat with effect from January 1 next year (2007).
To ensure that the quality and efficiency of services to Members of the Legislative Council and the public are maintained and that no additional cost or staffing resources are incurred, the Secretariat will strengthen its daily operation through extended service hours and suitably revise its internal working arrangements.
In considering the implementation of five-day week, the Legislative Council Secretariat has taken into account the following principles, which are in line with those adopted in the civil service: no reduction of services to Members and the public; no change to the prescribed deadlines for Council business stipulated in the Rules of Procedure and House Rules; no additional staffing resources; and no reduction in the conditioned hours of service of individual staff.
According to the decision of The Legislative Council Commission, the operation of the Legislative Council Secretariat from Monday to Friday will be strengthened through extended service hours. A five-day operation from Monday to Friday will apply to all offices and services within the Secretariat, except for the security service for the Legislative Council Building, which has to be operated at all times. The daily office opening hours will be extended by 45 minutes, from between 9am and 5.30pm, to between 8.45am and 6pm.
On Saturdays, all offices in the Secretariat will in principle be closed, except for the Security Office. However, to ensure that Legislative Council business will not be affected on Saturday mornings, the Secretariat will continue to provide support service, such as servicing of meetings and visits, handling of Council-related business and miscellaneous administrative support on a need basis, as in the case of provision of service to Members on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays at present.
Secretariat staff members' conditioned hours of work will remain unchanged after the introduction of five-day week. Staggered duty patterns for staff members in various divisions or offices will be decided by respective Heads of Division.
The Legislative Council Secretariat has consulted staff members on the proposals relating to the introduction of five-day week. Staff members welcomed the proposals and acknowledged the importance of maintaining quality and efficiency of service under five-day week. They also supported the proposed arrangement that, where necessary, the Secretariat should continue to provide services to Members on Saturday mornings, as on other non-working days.
Ends/Sunday, December 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 10:01
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