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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1974.
ALL MANUAL WORKERS ENTITLED TO SEVERANCE PAY
UNDER NEV BILL
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THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, SALD TODAY HIS DEPARTMENT WAS ALREADY RECEIVING A GOOD FLOU OF RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED BILL ON SEVERANCE PAY.
THE BILL WAS PUBLISHED IN LAST FRIDAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE FOR PUBLIC CONMENT BEFORE BEING SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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+ALL THE COMMENTS DIRECT TO US AND THROUGH THE HOUS DIA -- ARE BEING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED,+ HE SAID.
MR. HENDERSON SAID A SPECIALLY-PRINTED LEAFLET IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH WAS ALSO NOW AVAILABLE FREE AT ALL LABOUR DEPARTMENT OFFICES AND CITY DISTRICT OFFICES, AND AT DISTRICT OFFICES ET THE NEW TERRITORIES. IT EXPLAINED THE MAIN POINTS OF THE BILL IN LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE BILL CAN BE BOUGHT EITHER IN ENGLISH OR CHINESE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT THE STAR .FERRY CONCOURSE ON THE HONG KONG SIDE.
THE COMMISSIONER SAID A NUMBER OF THE COMMENTS BEING RECEIVED ON THE BILL SHOWED THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF POINTS ON WHICH PEOPLE DID NOT SEEM TO BE CLEAR.
+FOR EXAMPLE,+ HE SAID, +SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SEVERANCE PAY IS REPLACING THE WORKER'S RIGHT TO WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE.
+THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT SO,+ HE STRESSED.
OR SEVERANCE IS A NEW BILL TO
*THE EMPLOYMENT CAMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL, PAY BILL, AS IT WILL MORE COMMONLY BE CALLED GRANT THE BULK OF HONG KONG WORKERS RIGHTS WHICH THEY HAVE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
+IT DOES NOT SUPERSEDE ANY OF THE RIGHTS THEY ALREADY HAVE, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE.
+THE SEVERANCE PAY BILL GRANTS THE RIGHT OF SEVERANCE PAY TO ALL MANUAL WORKERS, AND NON-MANUAL WORKERS EARNING UP TO $2,000 A MONTH, IF THEY ARE FIT TO WORK BUT ARE DISMISSED BECAUSE OF REDUNDANCY, OR LAID OFF FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS A WEEK.
/+MONTHLY-RATED