CURE PLANTING
15
are
Patients in third class beds in government hospitals charged an all inclusive fee of $18 per day and this fee may also be waived if warranted. Medical services offered at maternal and child health centres, tuberculosis and chest clinics, social hygiene clinics, accident and emergency departments and floating clinics, are free.
Employment benefits
51.
There
has
been
considerable
incremental
of
improvement over the last few years
few years to Hong Kong's labour legislation, in accordance with the target,
the target, announced by the Governor in his Open ing Address to the Legislative Council in October 1976, of achieving a level legislation governing safety, health
health and conditions of employment at least broadly equivalent to the best in neighbouring Asian countries at a similar stage of economic development and with a similar social and cultural background. While there is no provision in Hong Kong's existing legislation for retirement or unemployment benefits as such, there are various provisions which do in some measure compensate for this.
52.
the
Long Service Payment. From 1st January 1986, employees within the scope of the Employment Ordinance have become eligible, upon termination of their contract of employment and subject to a specified period of qualifying service, for a long-service payment, at rate of 2/3 month's wages for each year
year of service with the same employer. Although conceived as an alternative to unfair dismissal legislation rather than as a substitute for retirement benefits or a CPF, the scheme can provide a substantial cash payment to an elderly employee on termination of his employment. For example, an employee nearing the end of his working life with 18 years service with the same employer would be eligible for the maximum long-service payment equivalent to 12 times his final monthly wage. This compares with the projected benefits of a CPF shown in the Annex.
53.
The long service payment scheme is open to criticism on a number of grounds. Its coverage is limited. The long service payment is made upon dismissal, but not in cases of voluntary retirement, and employees who are summarily dismissed or who resign on medical grounds are also at present excluded from its coverage. There is
is also scope for employers to dismiss an employee before he becomes qualified for a long service payment. Another point which has been criticised is that employees below the age of forty are only entitled to fraction of
the payment, 50% or 75% depend ing on their age. The
and
scheme will be reviewed after a year's operation consideration will be given to broadening the eligibility criteria and removing fractional payments.
CONFIDENTIAL