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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1974.
SEVERANCE PAY FOR REDUNDANT WORKERS
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A BILL TO PROVIDE SEVERANCE PAY TO REDUNDANT WORKERS VAS INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THE SECOND READING DEBATE OF THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED, AND WHEN IT IS RESUMED THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT PUBLIC COMMENT.
MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR. PETER WILLIAMS, SAID A NUMBER OF USEFUL COMMENTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED SINCE THE BILL WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE ON JUNE 7 FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
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+THESE COMMENTS ARE BEING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND 'IT IS LIKELY THAT A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS WILL BE PROPOSED AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE BILL IN THE LIGHT OF THE VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, HE SAID.
MR. WILLIAMS SAID THE BILL PROVIDED FOR SEVERANCE PAYMENTS AT THE RATE OF ONE-THIRD OF A MONTH'S PAY FOR MONTHLY-RATED WORKERS OR TEN DAYS" WAGES FOR TIME-RATED AND PIECE-RATED
• WORKERS, FOR EVERY YEAR OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE.
IT WOULD APPLY ONLY TO EMPLOYEES WHO HAD BEEN WORKING FOR THE SAME EMPLOYER CONTINUOUSLY FOR 24 MONTHS.
ALL MANUAL WORKERS, AND ANY. NON-MANUAL, WORKER EARNING NOT MORE THAN $2,000 A MONTH, WOULD BE COVERED.
+ IT IS SIMPLY COMPENSATION FOR LOSS, AND NOT A REWARD FOR LONG SERVICE OR GOOD BEHAVIOUR, SUCH AS A GRATUITY OR BONUS, + HE SAID. +IT ARISES ONLY FROM DISMISSAL DUE TO REDUNDANCY AND NOT WHERE THERE IS ANY ELEMENT OF VOLITION OR FAULT ON THE PART OF THE EMPLOYEE.+
MR. WILLIAMS POINTED OUT THAT DISPUTES OVER SEVERANCE PAYMENTS HAD BECOME A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN INDUSTRY IN RECENT YEARS.
+OVER THE PERIOD FROM 1ST JULY 1968 TO 30TH APRIL 1974, MORE THAN 40 PER CENT OF ALL MAJOR LABOUR DISPUTES DEALT WITH BY THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE CONCERNED REDUNDANCY,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF SEVERANCE PAYMENTS WAS ALREADY ACCEPTED BY MANY EMPLOYERS, AND THEIR PAYMENTS WERE QUITE OFTEN GENEROUS.
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/+ I WOULD WA
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