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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (September 29) briefed staff unions on new arrangements to deal with staff deployment at swimming pools arising from the Second Voluntary Retirement (VR2) Scheme.

Forty-four senior lifeguards and lifeguards have applied for retirement under the scheme.

"As an alternative to outsourcing the management of some swimming pools, the Department now plans to resolve the issue through streamlining and rationalization of the manning structure of lifeguards at swimming pools," a spokesman for the Department said.

The plan had been drawn up after a critical re-examination of the manwpower situation of swimming pools and consultation with the grades concerned, having full regard to the need to maintain service and safety standards.

"We consider the new arrangements would remove staff concerns about outsourcing of swimming pools to resolve manpower deployment issue arising from the VR2 Scheme and staff should now be able to dedicate themselves to their duties of serving the community," the spokesman said.

He noted that lifeguard union representatives had indicated at the briefing meeting that they would not take any industrial action on October 1.

A letter setting out details of the new arrangements has been sent to lifeguards individually and the staff unions concerned.

End/Monday, September 29, 2003

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