3
Article 4
Ko formal government to govemment agreements have been made. However, the governments of territories in which most Hong Kong workers take up employment are consulted in respect of the enforcement of the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance, and as a result some have agreed to certain administrative arrangements to safeguard the interest of workers from Hong Kong. The maximum period of service, in overseas contracts is regulated under section 13 of this ordinance,
Articles 6 and 7
Because these articles deal with matters concerning the ratification of this convention by member nations, they are inäpplicable to Hong Kong which is a non-metropolitan territory.
Article 8
It is probable that the modification applying the convention only to manual workers will, in local circumstances, have to be maintained for some time to come.
7
QUESTION III
The administration of the Employment Ordinance is the responsibility of the Commissioner for Labour. Officers of the Labour Department attempt to 'conciliate in disputes including those involving a contract of employment. When conciliation fails, the aggrieved party is advised to seek redress through the Labour Tribunal or the courts, appropriate.
as
The administration of the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance is the responsibility of the Commissioner for Labour, who liaises with the Director of Immigration on the issue of travel documents.
The Labour Tribunal Ordinance which came into effect on 1st March 1973 provides a quick, inexpensive and informal means of settling certain types of disputes between workers and employers. The tribunal deals with claims for money which arise from the breach of a term, or terms of a contract of employment, whether for performance in Hong Kong or under an overseas contract as defined in the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance. It does not deal with claims by workers or employers for civil damages under common law nor does it act in any way as a court of arbitration for pay rises or better conditions of employment.
The Labour Tribunal is part of the Judiciary with details of its jurisdiction set out in the Schedule to the Labour Tribunal Ordinance. The tribunal consists of seven legally qualified presiding officers each sitting in his own office, assisted by twenty-two tribunal officers and other supporting staff. The duties of the tribunal officers include making enquiries and preparation of a summary of facts relating to each claim. The tribunal officers are, for this purpose, given adequate statutory powers of entry and inspection.
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