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IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1970
Resumption of debate on second reading (28th January 1970)
Question again proposed.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill read the second time.
Bill committed to a committee of the whole Council pursuant to Standing Order No 43.
EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) (NO 2) BILL 1970
Resumption of debate on second reading (28th January 1970)
Question again proposed.
DR S. Y. CHUNG:-Your Excellency, it is generally accepted that two major criteria in the measure of economic progress in a community are real wages and working hours. The success of economic develop- ment is, therefore, depicted by rising real wages and reducing working hours.
During the past ten years industrial wages in Hong Kong have gone up at an average rate of about 9 percent per annum and, with an inflation of approximately 3 percent per annum as reflected by the retail price index, real wages in industry have been rising at a rate of about 6 percent per annum. This annual compound incremental rate of 6 percent in real wages, I believe, is high by any standards. Further- more, it was reported that the average wage increase in industry during 1969 as well over 12 percent.
Unfortunately, statistics for wage movements in non-industrial sectors are not available. Nevertheless, indications are that wage increments in services were not lagging very much behind those in industry.
Coming to working hours my honourable Friend, the Commissioner of Labour, has already pointed out that it is at present compulsory for an industrial employer to grant to all young persons aged 14 to 17 years and all women one rest day in every seven days. Most industries employ both men and women in good proportions working side by side and are, therefore, governed as far as working hours are
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