WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1976
THE HOLIDAYS AND ALTERNATIVES SPECIFIED IN THE BILL, HE SAID. GAVE CONSIDERABLE FLEXIBILITY IN THE APPROACH TO DESIGNATING HOLIDAYS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ALTERNATIVES ACTUALLY LISTED, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE EXISTING LEGISLATION ENABLED A SUBSTITUTE HOLIDAY TO BE GIVEN WITH DUE NOTICE EITHER SIXTY DAYS BEFORE OF AFTER THE STATUTORY HOLIDAY.
MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT THERE WAS A SUGGESTION THAT THE FOURTH DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAY SHOULD REPLACE THE PROPOSED HOLIDAY IN JULY OR AUGUST BECAUSE THESE TWO MONTHS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE A BUSY PERIOD FOR INDUSTRY PREPARING FOR THE CHRISTMAS TRADE.
HOWEVER HE THOUGHT IT WAS DESIRABLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STATUTORY PAID HOLIDAY DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS, WHICH WERE RATHER BARREN OF TRADITIONAL HOLIDAYS.
BOTH THE JULY AND AUGUST HOLIDAYS WERE GENERAL HOLIDAYS WHILE THE FOURTH DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR WAS NOT, HE ADDED.
THE CHINESE WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL HAD A VERY STRONG TRADITIONAL APPEAL. THOUGH IT IS NOT A GENERAL HOLIDAY, IT WAS ALLOWED FOR UNDER THE OLD INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT (HOLIDAYS WITH PAY AND SICKNESS ALLOWANCE) ORDINANCE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHRISTMAS DAY AND ITS LOSS UNDER THE PRESENT EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE WAS ON THE WHOLE STRONGLY RESENTED BY WORKERS, SAID MR. HENDERSON.
COMMENTING ON A SUGGESTION FROM ONE OF THE EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS THAT THE INCREASE BE CARRIED OUT IN TWO STAGES TWO ADDITIONAL PAID HOLIDAYS IN 1977 AND TWO IN 1978 - MR. HENDERSON SAID HE SAW LITTLE TO BE GAINED BY THIS PROPOSAL AND A GREAT DEAL OF LABOUR GOOD-WILL COULD BE LOST.
MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE NEW STATUTORY PAID HOLIDAYS WOULD BE VERY MARKED.
+EVEN SPEAKING THEORETICALLY THE EFFECT ON WAGE BILLS FOR THOSE WHO ARE DAILY-RATED OR PIECE-RATED WOULD INCREASE AT THE MOST BY ABOUT 1.3 PER CENT.
+FURTHERMORE THERE ARE PROBABLY HIDDEN BENEFITS IN BETTER PRODUCTIVITY AND HIGHER STAFF MORALE, HE ADDED.
THE DEBATE ON THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
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