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SCMP Reporter

Unionists urged the government to use negotiations in the future to restore civil servants' trust  or risk a fight.

'If the government puts pressure on us and uses [yesterday's] judgment to handle future civil service pay and benefit problems, we will adopt an opposing approach to fight for our own interests,' Federation of Civil Service Unions president Leung Chau-ting  said.

'I hope the government will modify its approach. It should negotiate with us, but not put pressure on us. It should be a rational government.'

Mr Leung said the Court of Final Appeal decision had put another dent in  civil servants' morale.

But Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong Wing-ping  said he did not believe public servants would be affected.

'I have  full confidence that the whole civil service will  continue to discharge their duties and serve the public,' he said.

Police Local Inspectors Association chairman Tony Liu Kit-ming  admitted the  judgment might hamper  another court case, in which a police officer is challenging the cuts on the grounds that the lack of compensation breaches Basic Law protections of private property rights.

'We will look into the judgment and find out if there's room to file a lawsuit,' said Mr Liu, but added they would not take action without considering cost. 'Lawsuits take manpower and money,' he said.

Felix Cheung Kwok-biu, chairman of the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union,  said it was up to the government to re-establish trust with the civil service.

'There should be more transparency and communications so that civil servants can better understand government policy,' he said.  'The government shouldn't implement  policies before reaching a consensus with us.'

Legislator Audrey Eu Yuet-mee,  of the Article 45 Concern Group, also said the government should invite public servants to take part  in formulating policies related to them.

Tam Yiu-chung, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, did not think the judgment would affect co-operation between parties.



Restore trust or we'll take you on, unions tell officials