Civil Servants 'bewildered' About 'dual Identities'

Several civil servants’ unions on Sunday expressed concerns about remarks made by civil service minister, Patrick Nip, that all government staff should bear in mind their ‘dual-identities’ as servants of both the SAR and for China.

Representatives of three unions told RTHK they had never heard of anything like that before.

The chairman of Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions, Leung Chau-ting, said he didn’t understand what “dual identities” mean, adding that the government should clarify the matter that he says has left many government staff ‘bewildered’.

He wondered if Nip’s remark means the conditions of service for government staff here now needs to be amended to include the conditions imposed on public sector workers in the mainland.

The chairman of the Union for New Civil Servants, Michael Ngan, also called for clarification, noting that the Basic Law states that government employees should be loyal to the SAR administration, but doesn't mention the central government.

He asked what civil servants should do when there are conflicts between their “two identities”, and asked Nip to come up with documentary backing of his statement.

The chairman of Hong Kong Senior Government Officers Association, Lee Fong-chung, was likewise mystified.

He said he also wondered if civil service regulations need to be changed.