4
Employment
SIGNIFICANT strides in labour legislation have been made in recent years in line with the policy of improving working conditions to the maximum compatible with Hong Kong's economic progress.
In the last four years no less than 39 items of labour legisla- tion have been passed. These have led, among other things, to a reduction in the number of disputes over non-payment of wages, maternity protection for women and four rest days a month for most employees. This year the scope of the Workmen's Compensa- tion Ordinance has been extended to make employers responsible for the cost of prostheses and surgical appliances. New woodworking safety regulations have been introduced; certain sections of the Employment Bill have been amended in the light of experience; further measures to protect women and young people working in licensed premises have been passed; and the Overseas Employment Ordinance has been amended to allow the Commissioner of Labour to refuse to attest contracts unfair to workers.
Standard working hours for women and young people in industry have been progressively reduced since 1967 to a maximum of 48 hours a week from December 1 this year.
A very low level of unemployment has continued and average industrial wages have increased by 104 per cent since 1964. Mean- while, the cost of living indexes have risen by only 35 per cent. This means that, measured by real wages, the standard of living has risen by about 51 per cent.
A milestone was passed in the second quarter of 1971 when the industrial labour force topped 600,000 for the first time. By December 1971, the Labour Department had 19,402 industrial undertakings on record employing a total of 605,367 workers, an increase of 15,862 over the 1970 figures. The largest section of the labour force, some 257,937 were engaged in weaving, spinning, knitting, and the manufacture of garments and made-up textile goods. The plastics industry, which also employs many out-workers, remained the second largest employer. The demand for labour in the manufac- turing industries continued to exceed the supply. Fuller details of