52
EMPLOYMENT
In September, 1980, 75 per cent of the workers engaged in manufacturing industries received daily wages of $34.55 or more (male: $37.95 and female: $32.40), and 25 per cent received $51.80 or more (male: $65.78 and female: $46.60). The overall average daily wage was $46.49 (male: $54.86 and female: $40.80).
In addition to granting rest days, statutory holidays, paid annual leave and other entitlements under the Employment Ordinance, many employers provide workers with subsidised meals or food allowances, attendance bonuses, free medical treatment, and a Lunar New Year bonus of one month's pay or more. Free or subsidised accommodation and transport are also provided by some of the larger establishments.
Employment of children under the age of 14 years has always been prohibited in in- dustry. The Employment of Children Regulations 1979, which were made under the Employment Ordinance and came into effect on September 1, 1979, extended the prohibi- tion of child employment to the non-industrial sector except in certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions aimed at ensuring their physical and moral protection. Children aged 13, or above, may be employed in non-industrial establishments subject to certain conditions and excluding certain occupations prohibited in the regulations. The types of employment and the conditions depend, among other things, on whether the child has completed Form III of secondary education. With effect from September 1, 1980, the minimum age for all types of employment was raised to 15 years.
Under the Women and Young Persons (Industry) Regulations 1980, which came into effect on July 1, young people aged 14 to 17 (15 to 17 from September 1, 1980) and women are permitted to work a maximum of eight hours a day, six days a week. However, work for all young people may not start earlier than 7 a.m. nor end later than 7 p.m. After five hours of continuous work, women and young people aged 16 and 17 must be given a meal or rest break of at least 30 minutes. In the case of young people under the age of 16, the break must not be less than one hour. The regulations also limit overtime employment for women to 200 hours a year. With effect from January 1, 1980, no young people are allowed to be employed in overtime work.
During 1980, the labour inspectorate made 214,994 day and night inspections of in- dustrial and non-industrial establishments. In addition, two special campaigns against child employment reached approximately 17,565 establishments. Altogether, 149 cases involving 149 children were brought before the courts.
There is no statutory restriction on the hours of work for male workers aged 18 and above. According to the Report on the September, 1980, Labour Force Survey, published by the Census and Statistics Department, the average working week was about 49 hours. However, there were marked variations in the average hours of work for different occupa- tions and industries. Sales and service workers, and workers in the wholesale and retail trades, restaurants and hotels worked the longest shifts. People in financing and business services worked the shortest.
Women and young people are prohibited from working at night, underground, or in dangerous trades. Since 1970, some large factories - mostly those engaged in cotton have been granted special permission to employ women at night, subject to spinning certain stringent conditions. This concession is reviewed annually.
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Under Part IIA of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations, no man may be employed to work underground in mines, quarries, and industrial undertakings in- volving tunnelling operations unless he has been medically examined and certified fit for such work. Those under the age of 21 years have to be medically re-examined at yearly intervals.