24
EMPLOYMENT
re-engagement contract if he does not wish to avail himself of immediate repatriation. A worker for overseas employment is also required to be medically examined before leaving Hong Kong, the cost of the examination and of all other formalities being borne by the prospective employer. In enforcing the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance, the Labour Department works in close co-operation with the Immigration Department.
During the year, 2,643 workers went overseas for employment as compared with 2,368 in the previous year and 2,002 in 1966. Few of these workers were accompanied by dependants. The number of workers recruited for Malaysia and Brunei increased during the year, and these countries, which mainly require skilled and semi-skilled workers in the building trade, domestic servants, and fishermen continued to be the main receiving-areas. The British Phosphate Commission also recruited through a local agent 105 workers for Nauru and Ocean Islands. This figure again shows a decrease. Re-engagement contracts, as required under the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance, numbered 1,607.
Under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, which came into effect on July 1, 1962, the Labour Department has assumed responsibility for forwarding to the British Department of Employ- ment and Productivity applications for employment vouchers from local Commonwealth citizens seeking to enter Britain for unspecified employment. During the year, nine such applications were received and sent to the Department of Employment and Productivity and 21 vouchers were issued.
At the request of the Department of Employment and Produc- tivity, the Labour Department also undertook to deliver 279 'Category A' vouchers issued under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act to local people of British nationality who had been offered specific jobs in Britain. Last year 190 vouchers were issued. The Department of Employment and Productivity also issued 672 labour permits to local residents of non-British nationality to enable them to work in Britain, mainly in Chinese restaurants.
The Local Employment Service was further expanded and consolidated during the year and now provides the basic functions of a placement service introducing registered job seekers to prospec- tive employers and vice versa. During the year the service registered