8
Thursday, January 31, 1974
MORE THAN 70 PER CENT OF LABOUR DISPUTES SETTLED
By Labour Department Last Year
The Labour Relations Service of the Labour Department dealt
with 4,584 labour disputes last year and helped solve 3,371 cases or
73.53 per cent, compared to the settlement rate of 72.4 per cent in 1972.
Mr. Tsui Tim-fook, Senior Labour Officer in charge of the Labour
Relations Division, said as a result of agreements reached, 12,444 employees
had received a total of $7,522,270 from management as outstanding wages,
payment in lieu of notice, statutory holiday pay, bonuses, severance pay
and other ex-gratia payments,
"The remaining cases were mostly referred to the Labour Tribunal,
and cases involving winding-up or bankruptcy proceedings were referred
directly to the Legal Aid Department."
During the year the five branch offices of the Labour Relations
Service handled some 18,716 enquiries and consultations about personnel
management and labour laws. "Advice given by the Service prevented many
disputes from arising or deteriorating," said Mr. Tsui.
The Labour Relations Service functions as an independent party to
help employers and employees resolve their differences.
"Although the Service does not have statutory power to require
any party to attend a conciliation meeting, yet experience shows that both
employers and employees are only too willing to make use of our conciliation
service."
The conciliation