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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1976
PROCESSES OF LABOUR LEGISLATION EXPLAINED
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THE SHEER HARD SLOG OF GETTING AN IMPORTANT BILL ONTO THE STATUTE BOOK WITH ITS MANY CONSULTATIONS, DRAFTINGS, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES IS LARGELY UNKNOWN AND UNDER-ESTIMATED BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON SAID TODAY.
HE TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CLUB THAT THE TIME FROM THE CONCEPTION OF IDEAS FOR LABOUR LEGISLATION TO THE FINAL ENACTMENT OF AN ORDINANCE WAS PROTRACTED.
HE WENT ON : +WITH SOME OF THE RECENT CRIES OF ACUTE PAIN EVIDENT IN THE MEDIA FROM SOME EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS, THE AVERAGE VIEWER, READER OR LISTENER MIGHT WELL GET THE IMPRESSION THAT EMPLOYERS WERE ALL KEPT ENTIRELY IGNORANT, IN THE DARK, AND UNKNOWING OF THE DEVELOPMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR LABOUR LEGISLATION.+
+THE IMPRESSION THUS CONVEYED IS SOMEWHAT FAR REMOVED FROM
THE REAL PICTURE, MR. HENDERSON SAID.
+ INDEED FOR ONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE LENGTHY AND TIME-CONSUMING CONSULTATIVE PROCESS, THE CARTOON VISION OF UNSUSPECTING EMPLOYERS' BODIES BEING SMARTLY SAND-BAGGED BY A CAT-FOOTED COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR CREEPING UP BEHIND THEM IS TOO LUDICROUS FOR WORDS.+
MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT LONG BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR'S ANNOUNCEMENT IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF ITEMS LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERED THIS SESSION CONSULTATIONS WERE ALREADY WELL ADVANCED ON MANY OF THEM WITH INTERESTED BODIES. +SO THERE WERE REALLY VERY FEW, IF ANY, SURPRISES OF SIGNIFICANCE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME.+
MR. HENDERSON NOTED THAT FEW WORTHWHILE PIECES OF LABOUR LAWS TOOK LESS THAN A YEAR TO 18 MONTHS FROM SERIOUS FIRST PLANNING TO ENACTMENT.
THERE WERE NO SHORT CUTS TO LEGISLATING, HE SAID.
MR. HENDERSON WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION.
HE SAID THE INITIAL FORMAL SOUNDING BOARD AND CRITIC WAS THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD WHICH HAD FOUR WORKERS' REPRESENTATIVES, AND FOUR EMPLOYERS' REPRESENTATIVES.
THE CONSTITUTION WAS BEING REVISED AND FROM THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR THERE WOULD BE SIX MEMBERS FROM EACH SIDE.
+WHEN PAPERS PUTTING PROPOSALS TO THE BOARD ARE ISSUED, + MR. HENDERSON WENT ON, THEY ARE IN MOST CASES SENT ALSO TO THE FOUR MAIN EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR THEIR VIEWS AND COMMENTS.
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