Nearly 2000 civil servants quit in 2020-21 in Hong Kong, highest in 15 years

Nearly 2,000 civil servants have quit for the Hong Kong government in 2020-21. This is the highest annual figure in at least 15 years, reports South China Morning Post. The number of people quitting has been rising since 2006-07 when nearly 400 government workers, which is around 0.3 per cent, left. According to a paper prepared for legislators by the Civil Service Bureau, the number surpassed the 1,000 mark in 2015-16. The figure for 2020-21 represented 1.05 per cent.

The Bureau said, “In 2020-21, the wastage in the civil service was about 8,500, accounting for around 4.8 per cent of the strength”. It added, “Retirement was the primary reason for departure of civil servants, while the other reasons, including resignation, completion of agreement and death, accounted for only a small proportion of wastage”.

The government argued that percentage-wise, the number leaving was insignificant. However, there were lawmakers who believed that civil servants to be offered better packages. According to the reports by the South China Morning Post, Unionist lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung, who chairs the panel on public service at the Legislative Council where the paper will be discussed next Monday, agreed that given a 170,000-something-strong civil service, having 1,000-plus people leave in a year might not come forward as a big deal. However, he further said that it was not something to be taken "too lightly". He also blamed the rise in resignations on "new terms" introduced by the government in 2000. As per these terms, those joining the service after June that year would not be entitled to pension benefits, and medical and dental benefits after retirement.

A new law passed

In another significant development, Hong Kong government passed a new law that puts the city’s politicians’ patriotic loyalty to test. The latest law allows the city’s Secretary for Justice to launch legal actions against any lawmaker who is deemed to have violated his or her oath. For this purpose, a “negative list” enlisting a wide range of ‘unpatriotic acts’ such as insulting the flag to endangering national security has been prepared. A public official will be immediately suspended if the Secretary for Justice finds him or her disloyal.

Under the new decree, all public office holders will be required to make a "pledge of loyalty" that they must adhere to throughout their term. It includes principal government officials, cabinet members, legislators and judges as well as members of the legislature. Additionally, more than 470 district councillors and local neighbourhood officials are also subjected to the new law. The decree is scheduled to come into effect later this month, US News reported.

IMAGE: AP