EMPLOYMENT
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In 1982, the labour inspectorate made 272 590 day and night inspections to industrial and non-industrial establishments. Three special campaigns were conducted against the employment of children and illegal immigrants, covering 28 106 establishments. During the year, 277 cases involving 277 children were brought before the courts.
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Under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations, no male employee may employed to work underground in mines, quarries and industrial undertakings involving tunnelling operations unless he has been medically examined and certified fit for such work. Those under 21 have to be medically re-examined each year.
Trade Unions
Trade unions in Hong Hong must be registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance administered by the Registrar of Trade Unions. Once registered, they are corporate bodies and enjoy immunity from certain civil suits.
During the year, 15 new unions were registered, of which eight were formed by civil servants. At the end of the year, there was a total of 429 unions comprising 378 employees' unions with about 346 300 members; 35 merchants' or employers' organisations with some 3 180 members; 16 mixed organisations of employees and employers with about 28 560 members; and a trade union federation of three employees' unions.
About half of the employees' unions are either affiliated to, or associated with, one of the two local societies registered under the Societies Ordinance – the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council.
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, a left-wing organisation, has 71 affiliated unions with about 177 140 members. A further 21 unions are friendly towards this federation and they have about 22 290 members. The affiliated and associated unions are concentrated in shipyards, textile mills, public transport, public utilities, and the printing and carpentry trades.
The Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council has right-wing sympathies and is affiliated with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. It has 70 affiliated unions with a membership of about 35 930, and 11 associated unions with some 1960 members. These unions are mainly in the catering and building trades.
The remaining 205 employees' unions are politically independent and have a membership of about 108 980, mostly drawn from the civil service and the teaching profession.
Labour Administration and Services
The Labour Department has an establishment of 1 679 and its services are continually expanding. Branch offices in the urban areas and the New Territories deal promptly with labour matters raised by local employers and employees.
The Commissioner for Labour is the principal adviser to the government on labour affairs. He is also the Commissioner of Mines.
The Labour Department initiates labour legislation and ensures that Hong Kong's obligations under international labour conventions are observed. The department is made up of 14 divisions: administration, staff training and development, air pollution con- trol, development, employees' compensation, employment services, factory inspectorate, occupational health, labour relations, women and young persons, mines, prosecutions, selective placement, youth employment advisory service, and overseas employment service.
Labour Relations
The Labour Relations Ordinance provides machinery for special conciliation, voluntary