TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1975
JOINT CONSULTATION IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ADVOCATED
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE, TODAY ADVOCATED JOINT CONSULTATION AS A MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD BY WHICH EMPLOYERS CAN INSPIRE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR WORKERS.
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MR. PRICE'S REMARK CAME AFTER ONE OF HIS REGULAR VISITS TO INDUSTRY TO THE HONG KONG UNITED DOCKYARDS LIMITED AND THE WHAMPOA TERMINALS LIMITED IN HUNG HOM. JOINTLY THEY PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FOR NEARLY 6,000 WORKERS.
+JOINT CONSULTATION IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL ELEMENTS IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, HE SAID. +USED PROPERLY IT CAN PREVENT MANY PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE DAILY OPERATION OF AN ESTABLISHMENT FROM ESCALATING INTO SERIOUS UNREST.+
FOLLOWING HIS TOUR, THE COMMISSIONER SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE SOUND SYSTEM OF JOINT CONSULTATION OPERATING BETWEEN THE HUD MANAGMENT AND ITS WORKERS.
HE SAID SUCH MEETINGS BROUGHT ABOUT MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN MANAGEMENTS AND EMPLOYEES, AND PROVIDED EMPLOYERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD IDEAS AND EXPLAIN PLANS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR ORGANISATIONS. EMPLOYEES WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN DIFFICULTIES WHICH MIGHT ARISE, ENABLING MANAGEMENTS TO TRY TO AVOID A SUBSEQUENT CONFLICT OF INTERESTS.
MR. PRICE ADDED THAT EVERY LARGE EMPLOYER SHOULD HAVE SOUND AND HEALTHY JOINT CONSULTATIVE PROCEDURES.
THE COMMISSIONER ALSO PRAISED THE WHAMPOA TERMINALS LIMITED
FOR ITS SAFETY MEASURES TO PREVENT WORK ACCIDENTS,
HE SAID THAT DESPITE THE CONTINUOUS HANDLING OF LARGE CONTAINERS AT THE TERMINAL SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1972, THERE HAD BEEN NO MAJOR ACCIDENTS.
THIS WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE MANAGEMENT'S STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF A PLANNED SAFETY POLICY.
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