HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 20 January 1988
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SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS: Sir, in fact in this particular case, the escalator had been inspected by a registered escalator mechanic very shortly before and also a few months earlier by a registered engineer. Under the amendments to the Lift and Escalators Ordinance introduced in November last year, there is a requirement for a monthly inspection by a registered escalator contractor and an examination by a registered escalator engineer every six months and with testing of safety equipment every 12 months including a full load test; I think that probably should be enough to cover all eventualities.
MR. HU: Sir, can the Secretary for Lands and Works advise this Council when the braking system of the escalator concerned was checked before the accident happened?
SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS: Sir, the last check was in November last year.
Review of Employment Ordinance
6. MR. TAM asked (in Cantonese): The existing Employment Ordinance does not apply to non-manual labour with wages exceeding $11,500 per month. In order to ensure that all employees in Hong Kong can actually benefit from the Ordinance, will Government review the Ordinance with a view to rescinding this requirement of a wage ceiling being applied to non-manual labour?
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, the main purpose of the Employment Ordinance is to protect lower paid employees. The present rule, which is reviewed and updated annually, extends the protection of the Ordinance to all manual workers and to all other employees except the highest paid 2 per cent.
The Labour Advisory Board has many times discussed proposals to extend the coverage of the Ordinance to the comparatively small group of higher paid employees now excluded. In recent years the board's consensus has been in favour of keeping the present rule, but it plans to discuss the subject again in March.
MR. TAM (in Cantonese): Sir, I agree that lower-paid employees should be our priority target for protection. However, does the Government agree that wages are mainly a reflection of the contribution, responsibility and seniority of the employees and therefore it does not follow that those who are higher paid should not be protected?
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, in my view the higher-paid are in less need of protection than the lower-paid. There is also the point that in this particular case the protection given in the Ordinance includes priority in
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