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SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1978
REVIEW OF WORK CF LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE
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HONG KONG WORKERS LAST YEAR RECEIVED MORE THAN $8 MILLION IN SETTLEMENT OF TRADE DISPUTES THROUGH EFFORTS OF LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
MORE THAN 3.2 MILLION, REPRESENTING 40 PER CENT OF THE SUM, WERE SEVERANCE PAYMENT TO 3,025 EMPLOYEES WHO BECAME REDUNDANT BY OPERATIONAL OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE REMAINDER WAS PAID AS ARREARS OF WAGES, WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS DUE TO 7,306 OTHER EXPLOYEES.
THE NUMBER OF TRADE DISPUTES HANDLED BY THE SERVICE DURING THE YEAR TOTALLED 145 OF WHICH 102, OR MORE THAN 70 PER CENT, VERĘ SETTLED WITH THE HELP OF THE SERVICE.
THE SERVICE ALSO HELPED TO ERING ABOUT CONCILIATION IN 7,226 CLAIMS IR CONNECTION.ITH THE PROVISIONS CF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE OR THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.
IT SETTLED 3,596, CR SOME 50 PER CENT OF THEM, AND REFERRED HOST OF THE REMAINDER TO THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL FOR JUDICIAL DECISION.
THE SERVICE ALSO INVESTIGATED 252 MAJOR COMPLAINTS ABCUT ALLEGED BREACHES OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE SUCH AS FAILURE TO PROVIDE REST DAYS, HOLIDAYS WITH PAY AND IMPROPER DEDUCTIONS CF WORKERS' WAGES.
DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, THERE WERE 38 WORK STOPPAGES RESULTING IN 10,814 WORKING DAYS LOST. THIS REPRESENTED AN AVERAGE CF 6.37 DAYS LOST PER THOUSAND WORKERS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS WAS CONSIDERED LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND WAS A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS.
IN THE SAME YEAR, THE SERVICE HANDLED 50,096 ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS, COMPARED WITH 43,792 IN 1976. MOST OF THESE CONCERNED THE PROVISIONS IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OTHER MATTERS CONCERNING LABOUR RELATIONS.
+THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ENGUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS REFLECTS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE 1.0% ATTACHED TO LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BY BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
REFERRING TO THE SERIES OF AMENDMENTS HADE TO LABOUR LAWS LAST YEAR SUCH AS THE PROVISICH OF SEVER CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF PAID ANNUAL LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES, MIPPOVEC BEVERANCE PAY, BETTER SICKNESS ALLOLANCE AND WAGE PROTECTIC: AGAINST DEFAULTING SUE-CONTRACTORS IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE NEW LAWS HAD CONTRIBUTED TO A BETTER LIFE FOR THE AVERAGE EMPLOYE AND PROVIDED A SOUND EAS13 FOR FARMCHICUS LABOUR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS.
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