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ERB. During the five-year suspension of the levy on August 1, 2008, the ERB has relied mainly on the remaining funds in the ERF to support its operations.
Skills Upgrading Scheme
A $400 million Skills Upgrading Scheme (SUS) was launched in 2001 to provide training for in-service workers to help them adapt to changing economic needs. The SUS had since its establishment provided over 260 000 training places for workers from 26 industries. In anticipation of the SUS running out of funds, the ERB launched a 'Skills Upgrading Scheme Plus' (SUS Plus) in July 2009 to take over SUS courses in phases. The migration of SUS courses to the SUS Plus was completed in April 2011.
The SUS Plus provides part-time skills training courses to help in-service employees upgrade their specific trade skills, or to acquire new job skills in other industries if they wish to change jobs. In 2011, the ERB offered about 560 courses covering 28 industries under the SUS Plus.
Continuing Education Fund
The Government's 'Continuing Education Fund (CEF)', set up in 2002 to subsidise continuing studies for adults, approved about 38 000 applications for opening CEF accounts in 2011.
On completion of the courses under CEF, eligible applicants receive a reimbursement equal to 80 per cent of the fees they paid, which must not exceed $10,000 per person.
Labour Relations
In 2011, the Labour Department's Labour Relations Division handled 86 trade disputes and 18 086 employment claims which, together, was 11 per cent lower than in 2010. Among the cases which conciliation services were rendered by the department, a total of 71.7 per cent were settled. There were two work stoppages during the year, resulting in a loss of 590 working days, or an average loss of 0.19 working day per 1 000 salaried employees and wage earners, one of the lowest in the world.
The Labour Department organises a wide range of activities such as talks, seminars, roving exhibitions, and produces free publications to enhance public understanding of the Employment Ordinance. Information is also disseminated through the department's website and the media.
The department promotes tripartite dialogue and co-operation at the industry level by setting up committees for nine industries, including catering, construction, theatre, logistics, property management, printing, hotel and tourism, cement and concrete, and retail industries. Each committee, comprising employers, employees and labour officials, provides an effective forum for discussion on issues concerning their respective industries.
At the enterprise level, the department established 18 human managers' clubs where experience-sharing sessions and briefings are held for