79.
As
legislation, an amendment to
to improve sickness benefits
the
was
regards labour
Employment Ordinance
introduced into this Council during the last session. The Second Reading of the Bill was deferred to give both employers and employees an opportunity to comment on its provisions; consideration of the Bill will be resumed in the current session in the light of
light of these comments. Other legislation on labour matters will be submitted to this Council during this
session: the Labour Advisory Board is now finalising
proposals for an increase in the rate of
Working Group on the Problems Experienced by Employees of Companies in Receivership, whose establishment I announced last
year, has recommended that a wage
a wage security fund should be set
up for the benefit of the employees of companies
liquidation, and its recommendations have been accepted in
principle by the Executive Council. These proposals respond to
public concern that there should be better protection for employees.
80.
(£) Environment
manufacturing
its
severance pay; the
in
As I stated in my address to this Council last October, in a crowded urban community such as Hong Kong, which
relies heavily on
industry, environmental pollution is bound to cause problems
cause problems unless the Government and the community make a determined effort to prevent it. During the past year another milestone was reached with the enactment
of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance. This Ordinance was
brought into force at the beginning of this month, replacing and widening the scope of the Clean Air Ordinance.
27
/81. Particular