WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1976
MR. TIEN EXPLAINED THAT SETTING THE UPPER AGE LIMIT AT **UNDER 17'' COULD EFFECTIVELY DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL.
+ALL THAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO TO BYPASS THE BILL WOULD BE TO EMPLOY ONLY YOUNG PEOPLE OF 17 OR OVER, HE SAID.
ANOTHER REASON WAS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE OF UNDER 17 MIGHT, AS A RESULT OF THE BILL, FIND IT DIFFICULT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE TO OBTAIN OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING IN DESIGNATED TRADES.
MR. TIEN SAID HE INTENDED TO MOVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE DEFINITION OF A YOUNG PERSON, AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE, IN HIS OWN PERSONAL CAPACITY AS WELL AS ON BEHALF OF THE TRAINING COUNCIL.
ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE HON. JAMES WU SAID : +TO INCREASE THE OUTPUT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF OUR INDUSTRIES, WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR WORKERS GET ADEQUATE TRAINING TO EARN THEIR WAY IN THE JOB MARKET.+
IN REPLY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. IAN PRICE, EXPLAINED THAT THE CLAUSE TO WHICH DR. CHUNG REFERRED WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY DRAFTED TO PROVIDE A METHOD WHEREBY SMALL FACTORIES COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO TRAIN APPRENTICES.
+RATHER IT WAS FELT DESIRABLE TO INCLUDE A GENERAL PROVISION WHEREBY AN EMPLOYER COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM THE LEGISLATION IN CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THERE WAS GOOD REASON FOR HIM BEING UNABLE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE TRAINING FOR AN APPRENTICE -- THE CRITERION IS INABILITY NOT UNWILLINGNESS.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THIS NEW LEGISLATION AN INBUILT DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY WAS ADVANTAGEOUS.
HOWEVER, MR. PRICE SAID THAT THE CLAUSE COULD BE DELETED AT SOME LATER DATE IF IT PROVED PRACTICAL.
REFERRING TO THE GROUP OF CRAFT TRADES RECOMMENDED FOR DESIGNATION, MR. PRICE ASSURED DR. CHUNG THAT IN PREPARING THE FIRM LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS DUE CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO THOSE TRADES IN WHICH IT WAS KNOWN THAT APPRENTICES WERE BEING EXPLOITED.
HE STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO INTENTION OF IGNORING THOSE CRAFT TRADES IN WHICH EXPLOITATION WAS MOST LIKELY.
BUT HE EMPHASISED THAT EVERYTHING COULD NOT BE TACKLED AT ONCE AND A START MUST BE MADE WITH A LIMITED GROUP, WHICH MIGHT NOT, FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, INCLUDE MINOR TRADES IN WHICH ONLY FEW APPRENTICES WERE EMPLOYED.
MR. PRICE SUPPORTED AN AMENDMENT TO BE PROPOSED BY MR. TIEN AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE TO RAISE TO UNDER 19 YEARS OF AGE'' THE UPPER AGE LIMIT IN THE DEFINITION OF YOUNG PERSON'
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