Employment
WARR
FURTHER increases in wages were received by Hong Kong's industrial work-force during 1978, while 11 more items of labour legislation were enacted to provide generally for higher standards in the safety, health and welfare of workers. This brings to 143 the total number of items of labour legislation carried through in the past. 10 years.
Recent legislation has included provisions for seven days' paid annual leave after 12 months' continuous employment, the introduction of more industrial safety regulations and the further reduction of permitted overtime for young people.
Significant amendments to the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance in 1978 in- cluded a widening of the coverage of non-manual workers by raising the wage-ceiling from $2,000 to $5,000 a month, provisions for a surcharge to be imposed on delayed payments of workmen's compensation, and provisions for the establishment of a special workmen's compensation scheme for workers suffering from silicosis and asbestosis.
Safety in the industrial working environment was stepped up by amendments to regulations to provide for improvements in the maintenance and safe use of lifting appliances and lifting gear, and safety on construction sites.
=
Amendments also were made to update the Boilers and Pressure Receivers Ordin-
ance.
ار
Further improvements to the Employment Ordinance were under consideration during the year, including the raising of its wage ceiling applicable to non-manual employees from $2,000 to $5,000 a month.
The total working population recorded in the 1976 by-census was 1,867,480, com- prising 1,209,590 males and 657,890 females. The distribution of the work-force was: agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing, 48,500; mining and quarrying, 1,020; manu- facturing, 845,920; electricity, gas and water, 9,710; construction, 104,040; wholesale and retail trade, and restaurants and hotels, 361,680; transport, storage and com- munication, 136,180; financing, insurance, real estate and business services, 62,090; community, social and personal services, 284,970; and unclassifiable activities, 13,370. In December, 1978, a total of 800,026 people were engaged in 39,606 establishments in the manufacturing sector. Some 363,460 - the largest section of the labour force - were engaged in the textile and wearing apparel industries. The electrical industry and the plastics industry were the next two largest employers. Details of the distribu- tion of manufacturing establishments, and of people engaged in them, are given in Appendices 13 and 14.