WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1979
14
+A FURTHER GROUP OF OFFENCES WHICH WOULD STEM FROM FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ORDERS MADE BY THE BUILDING AUTHORITY UNDER VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE, WITH POSSIBLE ILL EFFECTS ON THE SAFETY, HEALTH OR ENVIRONMENT OF OTHER PEOPLE COULD RESULT IN A FINE OF $50,000 AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT WITH A DAILY FINE OF $5,000 IN RESPECT OF CONTINUING FAILURE WITH A SIMILAR MAXIMUM FINE AND CUSTODIAL SENTENCE FOR INTERFERENCE WITH SHORING OR OBSTRUCTING ENTRY BY AN AUTHORISED PERSON IN CONNECTION WITH SHORING WORKS.+
UNDER THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, TWO OTHER GROUPS OF LESSER OFFENCES ALSO HAVE THEIR PENALTIES INCREASED TO $10,000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT AND $5,000 AND SIX MONTHS RESPECTIVELY.
THE BILL ALSO MAKES IT AN OFFENCE FOR ANY PERSON, AND NOT ONLY FOR AN AUTHORISED PERSON, A REGISTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER OR A REGISTERED CONTRACTOR AS AT PRESENT, TO PERMIT OR CARRY OUT BUILDING WORKS WHICH RESULT OR COULD RESULT IN AN INJURY TO ANY PERSON OR DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY.
THE DEBATE WAS ADJOURNED,
BILL TO EXTEND PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE
TO MORE NON-MANUAL WORKERS
******
AN AMENDMENT BILL PROPOSING TO EXTEND THE PROTECTION OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE TO MORE NON-MANUAL WORKERS BY RAISING THE QUALIFYING WAGE CEILING FROM THE PRESENT $2,000 TO $3,500 WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY)
MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT)
(NO. 2) BILL, 1979, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, RECALLED THAT WHEN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN SEPTEMBER 1968, IT APPLIED TO ALL MANUAL WORKERS AND THOSE EMPLOYED IN NON- MANUAL WORK WHOSE WAGES DID NOT EXCEED $1,500 A MONTH.
THE WAGE CEILING WAS LATER RAISED IN MARCH 1974 TO $2,000 BECAUSE BOTH WAGES AND THE COST OF LIVING HAD INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.
+FOR THE SAME REASONS A REVISION OF THE WAGE CEILING IS NOW CONSIDERABLY OVERDUE, HE SAID.
COMPARING THE SEPTEMBER 1973 NOMINAL WAGE INDEX FIGURE, ON WHICH THE CHANGES IN 1974 WERE BASED, AND THE SEPTEMBER 1978 FIGURE, MR. HENDERSON SAID THE NOMINAL INDUSTRIAL WAGE INDEX HAD RISEN FROM 99 TO 156, AN INCREASE OF JUST UNDER 60 PER CENT, AND THE WAGE INDEX, INCLUDING FRINGE BENEFITS, ROSE SLIGHTLY MORE.
+
THERE WAS NO SEPARATE WAGE INDEX REFLECTING CHANGES IN NON- INDUSTRIAL WAGES.
/+IT WOULD,