4.
manual and non-manual employees would indeed disappear.
Mr. TAM (in Cantonese):
Sir, has the Government considered
that there are the following problems inherent in the Ordinance ?
(1) The line between non-manual and manual workers is difficult
to draw and (2) with the advance of technology and automation, more and more types of work will become non-manual in nature. If we have. this particular ceiling and this particular ceiling becomes the dividing line, then we will be providing an opportunity to the employer to make use of the legal loophole.
Secretary for Education and Manpower:
Sir, I am not aware
of this distinction having caused any problem so far nor am I aware of it having led to any loopholes being exploited. If any member has any information on this point, I would be
very interested to hear it.
Sir,
Mr. SZETO (in Cantonese): could the Government inform this
recent deliberations of the Labour
Council
of the
Advisory Board over this point. Has a consensus really been
unanimously reached ? Many years ago when I was
a member
of the Labour Advisory Board and whenever this matter was brought up for discussion, we did not see any unanimity
in views between the employers' and the employees'
representatives.