EMPLOYMENT
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maternity leave and sickness allowance. The ordinance applies equally to local and imported workers.
Labour Legislation
The Labour Department administers labour laws in force in the HKSAR. Labour legislation has been enacted which, supplemented by administrative measures, enables Hong Kong to maintain internationally accepted labour standards.
Seven pieces of labour legislation were enacted in 2000. The Employment Ordinance was amended to clarify that an employer may not summarily dismiss an employee on the ground that the latter takes part in a strike. The Employees' Compensation Ordinance was amended to restore the protection accorded to employees under the ordinance during rainstorms and to improve the system of settling compensation claims for work related deaths and to revise the penalty clauses in relation to employees compensation insurance. Amendments to the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance were made to lower the rate of levy payable by the construction and quarry industries and to increase the maximum amount of funeral expenses payable under the ordinance. The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance was amended to give the Labour Department more flexibility in initiating prosecutions against proprietors and contractors who failed to notify the Commissioner for Labour that their factories or industrial undertakings had commenced operation. A new regulation was also made under the same ordinance to regulate the safe operation of load-shifting machines.
Enforcement of Legislation
During 2000, there were 8 750 prosecutions for breaches of various ordinances and regulations administered by the Labour Department. Fines totalling $52,904,270 were imposed.
Labour Advisory Board
The Labour Advisory Board is a non-statutory body set up to advise the Commissioner for Labour on labour matters, including labour policies, legislation and the application of international labour conventions. It also monitors the Supplementary Labour Scheme. Six of the 12 members represent employers, and another six represent employees. The Commissioner for Labour, or the deputy, is the ex officio chairman.
The board has set up five committees on special subjects including employees' compensation, employment services, occupational safety and health, labour relations and the implementation of international labour standards.
International Labour Standards
The international labour conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) prescribe standards on matters such as labour administration, employment, and occupational safety and health as models for member states. These conventions have a significant influence on the formulation of the HKSAR labour legislation and 40 conventions are applied here. This compares favourably with most member states of the ILO in the Asia-Pacific region. The HKSAR continues to participate in the activities of the ILO. In 2000, representatives from the HKSAR participated in the 88th Session of the International Labour Conference as advisers to the delegation of