OCCUPATIONS, WAGES AND LABOUR ORGANIZATION
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its factory would have to close down and this led to the closure of the Nam Jam Factory which had no other outlet for its products. National Carbon (Eastern) Ltd. closed on 23rd October and the Nam Jam Factory closed six days later. Separate talks were started between the management and workers' representatives of the two factories. The workers of National Carbon (Eastern) Ltd. made initial demands of 100 days' pay as a redundancy gratuity, while those of the Nam Jam Factory requested 120 days' pay. After protracted negotiations, 60 days' pay was given to each worker of the Nam Jam Factory on 25th November, while 80 days' pay was given to each of the workers of National Carbon (Eastern) Ltd. on 4th December.
Minor Disputes. The number of minor disputes dealt with by the Labour Department during the year was 1,621, an increase of 542 cases over the number in the previous year. The greater publicity gained by the Department was believed to be the reason for the large increase.
LEGISLATION
By the Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Ordinance, 1958, which came into force on 28th March, the schedule of trades which had previously restricted the application of the main Ordinance to workmen engaged in the more hazardous occupations was abolished. This had the effect of bringing within the scope of the Ordinance, with minor exceptions, all manual labourers of whatever income and all non-manual workers whose incomes do not exceed $700 a month.
The Workmen's Compensation (Exception of Agricultural Workers) Order, 1958, excluded from the scope of the Ordinance agricultural workers, apart from certain groups including those employed by registered companies in the keeping of live-stock and those who operate or maintain agricultural machinery. Most agricultural workers in the Colony are self-employed and the small number who work for hire are casual workers employed at harvest time by the peasant farmers of the New Territories.
The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Amendment) Regulations, 1958, were made by the Commissioner of Labour and approved by the Legislative Council on 5th November 1958. These Regulations, which will come into force on 1st January