Thursday, April 30, 1970
5
Twelve proprietors will be charged with employing children on two
occasions, and six proprietors will be accused of doing the same thing on
three separate occasions. They will be called upon to answer for each
alleged offence.
The charges result from a special campaign against child labour
carried out by officers of the Labour Department in February and March.
A total of 707 factories of different sizes in the Tai Kok Tsui
area were selected for inspection on February 24. Exactly 197 children
suspected of being under-age were found to be employed in 109 factories.
Two days later, a second visit to these 109 factories showed 193
children, believed to be under 14, at work in 85 premises.
On March 5, a third visit was paid to the 85 factories considered
Thirty were found to be still employing a total
to be breaking the law.
of 58 suspected children.
A subsequent age check confirmed that under-aged children were
employed in only 31 premises.
The campaign involved visits to premises representing a wide range
of industrial processes including the manufacture of wigs, textiles, rubber
goods, garments, gloves, and electric bulbs. Factories engaged in
engineering, knitting, plastics, and light metal working were also included.
No child under 14 was found to be employed in any factory engaged
in textiles, the manufacture of rubber goods, or the manufacture of electric
bulbs.
Most of the children were employed in light manual work, and 17 were
operating simple power-driven machines.
/The