Govt contract staff issued ultimatum on oath

The government said on Friday that staff employed on non-civil service terms will have three weeks to sign a declaration to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the SAR – a move that one union warned could deter people from taking up the interim positions.

The Civil Service Bureau said those who refuse to return a signed declaration before the deadline could face the sack.

“Negligence or refusal to duly sign and return the declaration by a non-civil service staff of the government reflects the staff’s refusal to comply with the requirement under Article 6 of the National Security Law and to acknowledge, accept and discharge the duties of public servants provided under the Basic Law, and a serious lack of commitment to adhere to the core values of government employees,” it said.

The bureau said it will consider whether the staff member’s contract should be terminated.

“The officer concerned will be given an opportunity to give an explanation in the process.”

The chairman of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, Leung Chau-ting, said non-civil service staff usually fill temporary or urgent positions.

He told RTHK he’s worried that the declaration requirement would deter some people from taking up or staying in these positions, and said authorities could consider increasing their pay to give them an incentive to stay.

The latest move comes after the city’s 180,000-strong civil service was made to sign a similar declaration earlier this year.

Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip had earlier said the government would terminate the contracts of around 130 civil servants who had refused to sign the declaration.