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SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1975
WORKERS COLLECT NEARLY $10 MILLION
IN LABOUR DISPUTE SETTLEMENTS LAST YEAR
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EMPLOYEES LAST YEAR RECEIVED NEARLY $10 MILLION AS A RESULT OF DISPUTE SETTLEMENTS REACHED WITH THE HELP OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE. MILLION IN 1973.
THIS COMPARES WITH $7.5
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE HEAD OF THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE, MR. TSUI TIM-FOOK, SAID CONCILIATORS HAD HANDLED 5,878 DISPUTES OF VARIOUS TYPES DURING THE YEAR, COMPARED WITH 4,584 IN 1973. THEY HAD HELPED SOLVE 3,568 OF THEM.
MOST OF THE DISPUTES WERE MINOR ONES INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL GRIEVANCES. THERE WERE ONLY 22 WORK STOPPAGES OF WORKING DAYS LOST IN THESE DISPUTES WAS 10,708, COMPARED
AND THE NUMBER WITH 56,691 IN 54 WORK STOPPAGES IN 1973.
THE $9,867,181 ($7,522,270 IN 1973) IN SETTLEMENTS WAS MADE UP OF OUTSTANDING WAGES, PAYMENT IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES, AND STATUTORY AND EX-GRATIA SEVERANCE PAY.
MR. TSUI SAID LAST YEAR'S SETTLEMENT RATE OF 60.7 PER CENT WAS ABOUT 15 PER CENT BELOW THE 1973 FIGURE. BUT THIS WAS EXPECTED, HE SAID, AS THE RESULT OF THE EXPANSION OF THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL, MONETARY CLAIMS UNDER CONTRACTUAL AND CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS ARE NOW REFERRED TO THE TRIBUNAL FOR A DECISION.+
MR. TSUI SAID THAT CONCILIATION HAD BEEN HELPED BY THE INTRODUCTION ON AUGUST 23 LAST YEAR OF SEVERANCE PAY LEGISLATION, WHICH LAYS DOWN MINIMUM PAYMENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE QUALIFIED IN CASES OF REDUNDANCY.
HE ADDED THE PROVISIONS OFFER A LEGAL BASIS FOR THE CLAIMS OF SEVERANCE PAY IN THE EVENT OF PROVED RETRENCHMENT ON REDUNDANCY.
+ALTHOUGH, IN THE PAST, THIS BENEFIT WAS OFTEN PAID VOLUNTARILY, THE LEGISLATION HAS ENABLED THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE TO ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES RECEIVE SEVERANCE PAY WHERE EMPLOYERS WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN RELUCTANT TO PAY.
+ITS INTRODUCTION HAS GREATLY FACILITATED THE WORK OF THE SERVICE, BECAUSE 50 PER CENT OF THE LABOUR DISPUTES IN RECENT MONTHS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WITH SEVERANCE PAY.+
MANY EMPLOYERS. IN FACT, MADE PAYMENTS ABOVE THE LEGAL MINIMUM DESPITE ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES.
MR. TSUI SAID THAT THE FIVE BRANCH OFFICES OF THE LRS HAD HANDLED 32,227 INQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS ADOUT PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DURING THE YEAR, THE ADVICE GIVEN PREVENTED MANY DISPUTES FROM ARISING OR DETERIORATING.
+THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE HAS AS USUAL CONTINUED TO FUNCTION AS AN INDEPENDENT PARTY TO HELP EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES,+ HE ADDED.
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