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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1977
BETTER SICKNESS ALLOWANCE RATE FOR EMPLOYEES
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THE EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1977, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE RATE OF SICKNESS ALLOWANCE FROM HALF TO TWO-THIRDS OF AN EMPLOYEE'S PAY, WAS PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THE BILL ALSO PROVIDES FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SICKNESS DAYS WHICH MAY BE ACCUMULATED FROM 24 OVER TWO YEARS TO 36 OVER THREE YEARS. IN ADDITION, IT SEEKS TO REDUCE THE PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE BY WORKERS' TO QUALIFY FOR PAID SICKNESS DAYS FROM THREE MONTHS TO ONE MONTH.
FOUR UNOFFICIALS, WHO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, WERE THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEÊN, THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING, THE HON. WONG LAM AND THE HON, JAMES WU.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID EMPLOYERS WOULD HAVE TO SHARE WITH GOVERNMENT THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST OF KEEPING THEIR EMPLOYEES IN GOOD HEALTH, WHICH IN THE LONG TERM WOULD ENHANCE THE STABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE COMPANY.
HE SAID THIS WAS NECESSARY TO PRESERVE, AT ALL COST, HONG KONG'S FOREMOST ATTRACTION AS AN AREA FOR INVESTMENT BECAUSE OF ITS LOW RATE OF TAXATION.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID THE PROVISION TO INCREASE THE SICKNESS ALLOWANCE FROM HALF TO TWO-THIRDS OF AN EMPLOYEE'S WAGE CONFORMED WITH INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTION NO. 130, AND REPRESENTED AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD WHICH HONG KONG WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND SHOULD ADOPT.
+SOME MAY ARGUE THAT THE PROVISIONS IN THIS BILL ARE NOT ENOUGH AND THAT MORE IS REQUIRED, HE SAID.
+PERHAPS THAT IS THE CASE, BUT IT WOULD BE EVEN MORE PRUDENT FOR GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED IN MEASURED PACE RATHER THAN IN HAPHAZARD FASHION.
+HONG KONG IS FACING STIFFER COMPETITION ON ITS MANUFACTURED EXPORTS AND WE MUST HAVE A BALANCED POLICY ON SOCIAL PROGRESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, OTHERWISE WE WILL SURELY AND IN NO TIME LOSE OUR COMPETITIVE EDGE.+
MR. LEUNG SAID THE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF SICKNESS ALLOWANCE FROM HALF PAY TO TWO-THIRDS PAY WOULD BRING THE RATE INTO LINE WITH THAT FOR TEMPORARY INCAPACITY UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE,
ADDITIONALLY, HE CONTINUED, THIS WOULD CONFORM WITH THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTION NO. 130.
/+ALTHOUGH
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