OCCUPATION, WAGES AND LABOUR ORGANIZATION
The inspectorate made a total of 12,683 visits during the year.
Of these 516 were visits to young persons employed in industry, 512 were night visits to factories and workshops and 1,226 were in connexion with industrial and occupational accidents and injuries and compensation. The remainder were routine inspections of factories and workshops.
During the year 566 accidents (40 fatal) involving 580 persons were reported, 422 (15 fatal) being in factories and workshops. This shows an overall decrease of 99 (12 fatal) and in factories and workshops a decrease of 2 accidents and 8 fatalities. Payment of compensation for fatalities and permanent disabilities amounted to $112,503.89.
Women and Young Persons
On 30th September, 1952, there were 33,685 women recorded as employed in registered factories and work- shops as against 34,025 on 30th September, 1951, and 31,945 on 30th September, 1950. Women are employed in most industries, with large numbers engaged in the textile trades and in the manufacture of rubber shoes, hand torches and other metal wares; the majority are paid on a daily or piece-work rate. Most of the work done is semi-skilled but some women achieve a high speed and output; moreover Chinese women are adaptable and many can work at several different trades, which is an asset when business is fluctuating.
Women are also employed as coal and earth carriers, as general workers on building sites, as stone breakers and on other casual work of an unskilled
nature.
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