WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1977
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ANSWERING VARIOUS POINTS BROUGHT OUT BY THE UNOFFICIALS
THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. WILLIAMS POINTED OUT THAT ANOTHER REASON FOR MAKING THE AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE AN OPTION OF FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS HOLIDAY WAS RELATED TO A COMMENT MADE BY MR. S.L. CHEN.
HE SAID: THERE IS GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT, GENERALLY, OUR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES WILL BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS INCREASED ANNUAL LEAVE AND INDEED WILL ENCOURAGE A WIDER SPREAD OF USAGE WHICH IS CURRENTLY TENDING TO BE CONFINED TO SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
+HOWEVER, A NUMBER OF INFORMED PERSONS HAVE RESPONDED TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE BILL BY WARNING THAT SIGNIFICANT STRAINS WILL BE IMPOSED ON RECREATIONAL AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES. WE WILL ALSO BE WATCHING THIS CAREFULLY DURING 1978, + HE SAID.
REPLYING TO REFERENCES MADE BY MR. ALEX WU AND OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THAT MEASURES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE LEGISLATION TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS GRANTED THE IR ANNUAL LEAVE ARE NOT EMPLOYED BY ANOTHER FACTORY, THE COMMISSIONER SAID: +I THINK THIS POTENTIAL ABUSE OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE LEFT OUT OF THE LEGISLATION.
+SECTION 41G OF THE BILL DESCRIBES THE NEW RECORDS TO BE KEPT BY EMPLOYERS. I WOULD NOT WISH TO ADD TO THESE UNLESS THE BENEFITS TO BE GAINED ARE MANIFEST,+ HE SAID.
MR. WILLIAMS SAID HE WILL BE MOVING IN COMMITTEE ANOTHER AMENDMENT WHICH WILL AFFECT THE PROPOSED SECTION 41A(2) OF THE BILL UNDER WHICH EMPLOYERS MUST GIVE A MINIMUM OF ONE MONTH'S NOTICE IN WRITING TO EMPLOYEES OF THE TIME APPOINTED FOR THE IR LEAVE EXCEPT WHERE A SHORTER PERIOD OF NOTICE IS MUTUALLY AGREED.
HE SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN PERSUASIVELY ARGUED THAT A MONTH'S WRITTEN NOTICE COULD RESULT IN GREAT DIFFICULTY WHEN A FACTORY RECEIVED OVERSEAS ORDERS AT SHORT NOTICE AND HIS AMENDMENT WILL REDUCE THIS PERIOD TO TWO WEEKS THUS PROVIDING FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY.
HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THIS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME TO ENSURE THAT IT IS WORKING SATISFACTORILY.
MR. WILLIAMS THEN REPORTED THAT THOSE WHO HAD EARLIER PRESSED FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE LEGISLATION TO ALLOW FOR PAY-IN-LIEU APPEAR NOW TO HAVE ABANDONED THEIR POSITION ADDING THAT SUCH AN OPTION WOULD DEFEAT THE MAIN OBJECT OF THE BILL.
MR. WILLIAMS ALSO SAID THAT WITH THE NEW HOLIDAYS STARTING NEXT YEAR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL BE ISSUING A SIMPLE PAMPHLET GIVING DETAILS OF ALL THE HOLIDAYS THAT ARE NOW PROVIDED BY LABOUR LEGISLATION TC ASSIST EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ALIKE.
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