6
Employment
the scope of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund to cover pay for untaken annual leave and statutory holidays under the Employment Ordinance.
The Employees' Compensation Ordinance, the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance and the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance were amended with effect from 21 July 2012 to increase the amount for 15 compensation items payable in cases involving death, permanent incapacity or occupational deafness.
In addition, the levy rate under the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance imposed on construction operations and quarry products was lowered with effect from 20 August 2012.
There were 5,136 prosecutions for breaches of various ordinances and regulations administered by the Labour Department in 2012, resulting in fines totalling more than $19.67 million.
International Labour Affairs
Hong Kong applies 41 international labour conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). These conventions set standards that have a significant bearing on the formulation of Hong Kong's labour laws.
Hong Kong continued to participate actively in ILO activities during the year, keeping itself abreast of international labour issues. In June, a team comprising representatives of employers, employees and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attended the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference as part of the China delegation.
Labour Advisory Board
The Labour Advisory Board, a representative tripartite consultative body, advises the Commissioner for Labour on labour matters and ILO conventions and recommendations. It is chaired by the Commissioner for Labour and comprises six members representing employers and six representing employees.
Five standing committees of the board deal separately with employees' compensation, employment services, occupational safety and health, labour relations and implementation of international labour standards. A working group under the board deals with applications. for labour importation under the Supplementary Labour Scheme.
Employment Services
The Labour Department provides a wide range of free employment and recruitment services to job seekers and employers through 12 job centres (including a one-stop employment and training centre), two recruitment centres for the catering and retail industries, a Telephone Employment Service Centre and a Job Vacancy Processing Centre. Round-the-clock employment services are also provided through the Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk), which recorded over 0.37 billion page views in 2012, or an average page view of 1.02 million per day. The department also organises large-scale and district-based job fairs to help job seekers find jobs, and employers recruit workers. For major closure or
108