THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1979
1
LABOUR SETTLEMENTS TOTALLED OVER $40 MILLION IN 1978
******
HONG KONG WORKERS LAST YEAR RECEIVED MORE THAN $40 MILLION AFTER THE IR LABOUR-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS WERE SETTLED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE OFFICERS OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
OF THE TOTAL, $17,714,937 OR ABOUT 43 PER CENT, WAS SEVERANCE PAYMENT FOR 4,648 EMPLOYEES MADE REDUNDANT BY OPERATIONAL OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
THE REMAINING $23,169,843 WAS PAID AS ARREARS OF WAGES, WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS DUE TO 18,904 EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING 4,648 WHO RECEIVED SEVERANCE PAYMENT.
TRADE DESPUTES HANDLED BY THE SERVICE DURING THE YEAR TOTALLED 182 OF WHICH 136, OR MORE THAN 74 PER CENT, WERE SETTLED WITH THE HELP OF THE SERVICE.
THE SERVICE ALSO PROVIDED CONCILIATION FOR 9,280 CLAIMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE OR THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT SETTLED 5,116, OR SOME 55 PER CENT OF THEM, AND REFERRED MOST OF THE REMAINDER TO THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL FOR JUDICIAL DECISION.
THE SERVICE ALSO INVESTIGATED 512 MAJOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALLEGED BREACHES OF PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE SUCH AS FAILURE TO PROVIDE REST DAYS, HOLIDAYS WITH PAY, ANNUAL LEAVE WITH PAY AND IMPROPER DEDUCTIONS OF WORKERS' WAGES.
THERE WERE 51 WORK STOPPAGES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR LAST YEAR, RESULTING IN 30,927 WORKING DAYS LOST. THIS REPRESENTED AN AVERAGE OF 17.24 DAYS LOST PER THOUSAND EMPLOYEES. THIS FIGURE COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THE ANNUAL AVERAGE OF 20.5 DAYS LOST PER 1,000 EMPLOYEES DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS (1969 - 1978).
COMMENTING ON THE AVERAGE FIGURES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THESE WERE CONSIDERED LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND WERE A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS.
THE SERVICE ALSO HANDLED 99,913 ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS, COMPARED WITH 50,096 CASES IN 1977. MOST CONCERNED THE PROVISIONS IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND LABOUR RELATIONS.
+ THE INCREASE REFLECTS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE NOW ATTACHED TO LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BY BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
-
12