Congratulations on the celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the AGSS.  It is a milestone for our union history.  I am very excited to hear the good news though I am unable to be present, because it evidences that our “darling” has grown up prosperously under your great care. 

Well, 30 years ago, it is a really long time and most members once played an important role in the set-up have retired, but the recollection strongly stamped in our memory.

 32 years ago, we were a group of young girls, just left school and joined the government service as a “Shorthand Audio Typist” (now known as a Stenographer, or Steno and regraded as PSII) for a few years.  The equal pay scheme had been introduced and implemented in late 60s and early 70s.  The salary for a steno, armed with shorthand and typing skills, was less than the other female staff of our comparable grades because the latter was remunerated with an increase of 25% of their salary to catch up with their male counterparts.  We did not have male staff in our grade, and so it was called a “special” grade and consequently could not be compared and therefore the salary was not duly adjusted, and at one stage our salary was less than a COII.

 With a group of enthusiastic colleagues, we eventually formed a unit under the Chinese Civil Servants Association, and under their guidance and facilities, we were able to trace back the history of our grade and with due comparisons on salary structure with other similar general grades and junior secretaries or stenos working in the private sector.  We were frustrated to learn that status of the steno was relegated simply because we did not have a representative body to fight for our wellbeing.  It was brought to the attention of our employer, head of the General Grades but to no avail.  As expected our employer would not respond to our request unless it was pushed hard.  In that era the staff management was poor and there were many industrial actions happening in the civil service.  Moreover in the middle of our negotiations, a “pooling” system was introduced, and it forced some stenos to sit in a typing pool which later known as “secretarial pool”.  It further relegated our status and weaken our solidarity by appointment of 70 supervisors from a strength of 450 stenos.

 We, to start with, never thought to be militant or trouble makers but wanted our justice to be heard and paid.  Later we were given a concession by given one increment but it was much less than what we expected.  With encouragement from our brother unions (a list too long to name here), we set up our association at the same time to continue to go further with our employer.  We never thought that our action would have damaged our future career as the morale at that time was too low to stay on.  Our urge was genuine, sincere and reasonable and thus contributed to our momentum to soldier on.

 “Work-to-rule” did not break the deadlock with the government officials except our grievances could be shared by our bosses and colleagues.  The inconvenience brought to office caused us some embarrassment between the relationship of boss and secretary, but with their understanding, no unhappy events happened.

 All throughout, we worked out some tactics or strategies days and nights.  As the Steno grade only had 450 girls, the top union leaders at that time gave us tremendous support, such as allowing their union premises for us to hold annual and extraordinary meetings, to process and distribute newsletters, their advice to map out strategy, to draft petition letters, to contact the councillors and press reporters for external help etc.  Without their generous support and advice, we could not have achieved so much.

 One event that I would never forget in my life is the “poster action”, to “deface government” in order to press our employer to respond, that was to some extent quite effective as a small article was appeared in the editorial column of South China Morning Post.  You might imagine how awkward, funny and embarrassing that we were, armed with buckets of self-made glue/paste, printed large posters, bamboo sticks/brooms, walked around in busy streets to put up the protest posters as high and as many as possible within the shortest time on the government buildings.  Sometimes we were followed by policemen.  As it was a kind of legal industrial action, we tried to pretend to be calm and brave to complete it though in my heart was timid, scared and really shaking!  Luckily there was no confrontation.  Again no significant result was achieved.

 Our last resort was to raise fighting fund for our then Chairwoman & Vice-Chairwoman, Matilda & Vivien, went to petition to England.  They sacrificed a lot of their time and money for the wellbeing of our grade. 

 At last, the General Grades had a salary review on the secretarial grade, and we were given two or three additional increments in our salary and an increase of PS and SPS vacancies.

 It is important to have a representative body to speak for ourselves.  A responsible union would bridge the communication gap between employer and employees in order to foster a good working atmosphere.  From my experience, the union should always be active and representative.  People tend to forget the existence of the association in peaceful time, so I understand that all your devotion to maintain it in good shape should be applauded.  Your unselfishness and righteousness are always be appreciated by a silent majority.  I had no regrets in my heavy involvements in it, as it gave me an opportunity to expose myself, to broaden my horizon, and most of all, to have many “comrades” now all over the world, our valuable friendship is a treasure in my life.

 Wishing our AGSS a continuing success!

Best regards,

Belinda So