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EMPLOYMENT
for inspection and employers to maintain up-to-date records of their employees. These legislative requirements, which aim at stopping the flow of illegal immigrants into Hong Kong, are enforced by the Labour Department.
Long Service Payment
From January 1, 1986, employers were required by the Employment Ordinance to make long service payment to their employees under certain circumstances. An employee who has worked continuously for the same employer for a specified number of years ranging from five to 10 years, depending on the employee's age, and who has been dismissed other than by way of summary dismissal or redundancy is entitled to a long service payment calculated at the rate of two-thirds of a month's wages for each year of service. However, the amount of long service payment varies with the age of the employee. An employee aged 40 or above is entitled to the full payment, while younger ones are entitled to only 50 per cent or 75 per cent, depending on their age. In the case of redundancy, he may claim severance payment calculated at a similar rate.
From July 1988, the long service payment scheme was extended to cover eligible employees who resign on grounds of ill-health and old age. Long service payment is also payable to family members of eligible employees who die in service.
Trade Unions
Trade unions in Hong Kong must be registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance, which is administered by the Registrar of Trade Unions. Once registered, they are corporate bodies and enjoy immunity from certain civil suits.
In June, the Trade Unions Ordinance was amended to permit use of union funds to support candidates standing for elections to the Legislative Council, Regional Council, Urban Council and the District Boards. Two unions have amended their rules to enable them to use their funds for this purpose.
During the year, 16 new unions were registered. At the end of the year, there were 472 unions, comprising 430 employees unions with about 382 800 members, 29 employers associations with some 2930 members, and 13 mixed organisations of employees and employers with about 19 980 members.
The majority of the blue collar employees unions are affiliated to one or the other 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 has 81 affiliated unions with about 175 200 members. Its affiliated 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 71 affiliated unions with a membership of about 17 100. These unions are mainly in the catering and building trades. The remaining 278 employees unions have a membership of about 190 500, mostly drawn from the Public Service and the teaching profession.
Labour Administration and Services
The Labour Department has an establishment of 1 660. Branch offices throughout the urban areas and the New Territories deal 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.