140 Employment
47 applications and paid out $4.6 million as compensation. It approved 289 applications for hearing aids, amounting to $710,000. The board also runs. rehabilitation programmes for people with impaired hearing due to their jobs. In 2007, the board provided 321 such programmes.
Wage Protection Movement
The question of minimum wage and standard working hours remains a matter of public concern. However, views within the community on whether a statutory minimum wage and standard working hours should be introduced differ. After taking into account the views of stakeholders and having considered Hong Kong's socio- economic situation, the Government concluded that the practical approach at this stage would be to provide wage protection for cleaning workers and security guards. through non-legislative means. As a result, the Government joined the business community and the labour sector in 2005 to launch a Wage Protection Movement (WPM). Under the WPM, employers are required to pay their cleaning workers and security guards wages not lower than the relevant average market rates, and enter into written employment contracts with these workers. If the workers have to work. beyond the contractual hours, they should be compensated adequately.
The Government will conduct a review in October 2008 to evaluate its effectiveness. If the overall review finds that the WPM fails to yield satisfactory results, the Government will introduce a statutory minimum wage for cleaning workers and security guards.
Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board
The Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board adjudicates claims under the Employment Ordinance and in accordance with individual employment contracts. The board hears and determines employment claims involving not more than 10 claimants for a sum of money not exceeding $8,000 per claimant. During the year, the board adjudicated 2 276 claims and gave awards amounting to $4.8 million.
Labour Tribunal
The Labour Tribunal is part of the Judiciary and provides a quick, inexpensive and informal method of adjudicating disputes between employees and employers, which not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board.
During the year, 6 160 cases were filed with the tribunal, of which 6 099 were initiated by employees and 61 by employers. Of these, 84.5 per cent were referred by the Labour Department's Labour Relations Division after unsuccessful conciliation attempts. In 2007, the tribunal dealt with 6 066 cases and granted awards totalling more than $265 million, or 477 cases and $74 million less than in 2006.
Imported Workers
Entry for Employment
The Immigration Department is responsible for handling matters relating to the entry of non-local people for employment. Non-local people may work in Hong Kong