+
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1976
IN SUMMING UP THE CONTRARY VIEWS OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, DR. CHUNG SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TOGETHER WITH THE MOTION TABLED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON DECEMBER 8, BY 74 LABOUR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HAD UNFORTUNATELY LED SOME PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT HONG KONG WAS LAGGING BEHIND ITS ASIAN NEIGHBOURS IN RATIFYING INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION CONVENTIONS.
+FIRST, LET ME POINT OUT THAT IT IS A FALLACY THAT EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SHOULD OBSERVE ALL INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE LOCAL CONDITIONS, HE EXPLAINED.
HE BELIEVED THAT AT PRESENT A TOTAL OF 32 ILO CONVENTIONS WERE APPLIED IN HONG KONG WITH OR WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS. OUT OF SOME 130 MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE ILO, ONLY ABOUT 50 COUNTRIES HAD MORE RATIFICATIONS THAN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
+ IN COMPARISON WITH OUR PRINCIPAL ASIAN COMPETITORS, HONG KONG IS FAIRLY ADVANCED. WE ARE EQUAL TO JAPAN BUT, LIKE INDUSTRIAL WAGES, WE ARE VERY MUCH AHEAD OF INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, THE PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND, HE SAID. +TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE ILO AND THEREFORE NEED NOT RATIFY ANY ILO CONVENTIONS.+
DR. CHUNG SAID THE PRESENT CASE OF EVENTUAL ABOLITION OF OVERTIME FOR YOUNG PERSONS AGED 16 AND 17 IN INDUSTRY WAS A MARGINAL ONE AND HAD BECOME A CONTROVERSY AMONG THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS.
+ON BALANCE, I, LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION,+ HE SAID.
+HOWEVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT MAKE ANY REDUCTION ON PERMISSIBLE OVERTIME FOR ADULT WOMEN OF 18 YEARS AND OVER, HE ADDED.
WINDING UP THE DEBATE, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. IAN PRICE, SAID NO ONE HAD SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED GOVERNMENT'S VIEW THAT SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS WERE OVERRIDING IN THE CASE OF YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE SPECIAL PROTECTION.
IN REPLY TO REMARKS MADE BY MR. FRANCIS TIEN, WHO DREW A COMPAR IS ION WITH THE SITUATION IN SINGAPORE, MR. PRICE SAID MR. TIEN WAS COMPARING ONE SINGLE ASPECT OF OVERTIME WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE SURROUNDING CIRCUMSTANCES.
MR. PRICE ALSO REFUTED AN IMPLICATION THAT GOVERNMENT HAD NOT CONSULTED FULLY ON THE REGULATIONS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT, IN ADDITION TO DELIBERATIONS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD HE HAD CONSULTED, BY LETTER, ALL THE FOUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS. HAD SUBSEQUENTLY EXCHANGED CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM AND MET WITH SOME OF THE IR REPRESENTATIVES.
/REGEAKING