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145.
I have accordingly drafted a suggested Employment Code
(see ppendix 6) divided into seven parts as follow:
PRT I
Preliminary.
PART II
Agreements & Contracts of Service,
PART III
PART IV
Employment of Children.
Conditions of Employment.
PART V
Wages.
PART VI
60
146.
PART VII
Disputes.
General.
The ambit of these provisions has been tentatively confined to workers in receipt of not more than 400 dollars per month.
147.
An attempt has been made to bring the law relating relating to agreements and contracts of service up to date.
148.
The question of the employment of children under 14 years of age has been dealt with in some detail.
149.
A prohibition of forced or compulsory labour has been included and provision made for the compulsory exhibition of "wages notices" and a digest of the labour laws in Chinese characters.
150.
In the section dealing with wages the "truck system" has been dealt with in such a way that it is unlikely to cause difficulties. An effort has also been made to secure an overriding priority for one month's wages of all workers.
151.
In the minor disputes' section the procedure has been introduced which has operated for many years so successfully in Malaya and Singapore. This procedure, if adopted, would ensure expeditious justice to both employers and workers and should tend to relieve the Magistrates' Courts. I am convinced that such an arrangement would operate satisfactorily in Hong Kong and, in time, would be appreciated by all concerned.
152.
The Swiss practice of according the force of law to certain collective agreements has been introduced in the draft,
153.
The recovery of advances made to immigrant workers has been dealt with. In this connection consideration might also be given to the compulsory repatriation of unemployed immigrants at the expense of the employer who imported them.
1540
Provision has been made for dealing, as effectively as possible, with employers about to abscond in order to evade payment of wages to their workers.
155.
A section has been included to ensure adequate authority for entry and inspection of all places of employment by officers of the Department of Labour.