WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1975
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+HOWEVER, REALISE THAT THIS MODEST ADVANCE WILL NEED TO BE STUDIED FURTHER IN THE LIGHT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION,+ HE SAID.
ON OVERTIME WORK FOR YOUNG PERSONS AND WOMEN, THE COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT THAT THE MAXIMUM YEARLY PERMISSIBLE OVERTIME FOR THEM HAD BEEN REDUCED FROM 300 TO 250 HOURS SINCE LAST JANUARY, AND THIS WOULD BE REDUCED AGAIN TO 100 HOURS FROM JANUARY NEXT YEAR.
+HOWEVER, IT IS SOCIALLY UNDESIRABLE FOR YOUNG PERSONS TO WORK OVERTIME BECAUSE MANY OF THEM STRONGLY DESIRE TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION IN THEIR SPARE TIME.
+THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD GUPPORTS THIS VIEW AND INDEED WAS LARGELY INSTRUMENTAL IN PRESSING FOR THE ABOLITION OF ALL OVERTIME FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
+BUT BOTH ITS MEMBERS AND I REALISE THAT THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME IF WE ARE TO AVOID CAUSING DISRUPTION IN SOME INDUSTRIES. THEREFORE, I AM CONTINUING TO STUDY THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH A MOVE, + HE ADDED.
ON EMPLOYMENT, HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE SITUATION THIS YEAR HAD BEEN DOMINATED BY SOME ECONOMIC GLOOM, REDUNDANCIES HAD DROPPED MARKEDLY SINCE THE FIRST QUARTER, AND THE TIMELY ENACTMENT OF THE SEVERANCE PAYMENT AMENDMENT TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE HAD GREATLY HELPED REDUNDANT WORKERS OVER THE DIFFICULT PERIOD.
DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE (LRS) HAD CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE SETT! EMENT AND PROMPT PAYMENT OF SEVERANCE PAY TOTALLING NEARLY $7 MILLION. THE LRS, WITH A STRENGTHENED STAFF, HAD BECOME MORE QUICKLY INVOLVED IN DISPUTES AND BY DEALING PROMPTLY WITH THE 35,000 ENQUIRIES RECEIVED DURING THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.
THE COMMISSIONER EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES WOULD GENERALLY CONTINUE TO EXTEND TO EACH OTHER THEIR TRADITIONAL GOODWILL AND CONCERN WHICH HAD RESULTED IN A VERY LOW RECORD OF WORKING DAYS LOST LAST YEAR THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ACTION.
HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE IRS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT WHICH DID MUCH UNJUNG WORK IN HELPING EMPLOYEES SEEK THEIR RIG.ITS. PARTICULARLY IN THE PERPLEXING WILDERNESS OF COMPANY BANKRUPTCY OR INSOLVENCY.
+ IT IS A TRIBUTE TO THE SYMPATHETIC AND CONSIDERATE APPROACH OF THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AID AND HIS STAFF THAT MORE AND MORE WORKERS ARE NOW TURNING TO THEM FOR HELP IN THIS RESPECT,+ HE SAID.
ON THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY SERVICE (YEAS), HE SAID IT COULD EXPAND ONLY BY ENTERING THE LABOUR-INTENSIVE FIELD OF INDIVIDUAL CAREERS GUIDANCE. +SUCH WORK IS COSTLY IN TRAINED STAFF, AND THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES REQUIRED ARE LIKELY, FOR SOME TIME, TO BE OUTSIDE FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS,+ HE SAID.
+INITIALLY,+ HE CONTINUED, +1 PROPOSE TO EXAMINE THE SPARSE RESOURCES ALREADY EXISTING IN THIS FIELD, AND THEN ASSESS WHETHER THE CREATION OF A SMALL TRAINED NUCLEUS WITHIN THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY SERVICE, COULD HAVE AN IMPACT, BY WORKING THROUGH THE MULTIPLICITY OF AGENCIES IN CONTACT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.+
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