17
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1980
HE SAID HE WAS CONCERNED +NOT JUST BECAUSE PRODUCTIVITY IS LOST BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE MANY WORKERS' LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST.+
THERE WERE 45 991 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN 1979 AS COMPARED WITH 39 242 IN 1978 AND 37 073 IN 1977. THE NUMBER OF FATAL
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS ALSO INCREASED FROM 136 IN 1977 AND 141 IN 1978 TO 163 IN 1979. AS FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ABOUT 7 500 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED, REPRESENTING AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 120 A DAY.
+I FEEL THAT THE SITUATION CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED - THE GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES,+ MR WONG STRESSED.
HE PROPOSED THAT AS IMMEDIATE STEPS.
* WORKERS SHOULD BE TAUGHT HOW TO AVOID ACCIDENTS BEFORE
THEY ARE TAUGHT HOW TO HANDLE THEIR JOBS,
* THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LAUNCH VIGOROUS PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS
BY ORGANISING MORE SEMINARS AND PUBLICITY ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS SAFETY WEEKS AND EXHIBITIONS, AT A LOCAL LEVÉL IN TSUEN WAN, ABERDEEN, CHAI WAN, KWÜN TONG AND TSING YI.
THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION, MR WONG ADDED, MUST LIE IN EDUCATION.
+SINCE AN INCREASING PERCENTAGE OF OUR LABOUR FORCE ARE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS, MAYBE WE SHOULD INTRODUCE INTO OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
+THIS CONCEPT MUST BE STRESSED IN COURSES PROVIDED BY THE POLYTECHNIC AND OTHER PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOLS.+
POINTING TO THE HIGH RATE OF GROWTH IN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, MR WONG HOPED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD IMPROVE ITS INTERNAL FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT MONITORING SYSTEM SO AS TO MAXIMISE OUTPUT FROM THE EXPENDITURE.
HE QUOTED STATISTICS TO SHOW THAT 41 PER CENT OF EXPENDITURE IS USED FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, MANY OF WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL AND BADLY NEEDED, SUCH AS THE EAST ISLAND CORRIDOR PROJECT AND PROJECTS ON SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
BUT HE REMINDED GOVERNMENT PLANNERS THAT IN PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES, THEY SHOULD AIM AT REASONABLE QUALITY AND MODERATE STANDARDS AT THE MOST ECONOMICAL COSTS.
+GOVERNMENT MUST REMEMBER THAT THERE IS STILL A LONG LIST OF SOCIAL COMMITMENTS THAT MUST BE MET, SO PUBLIC FUNDS MUST BE USED VERY CAREFULLY AND SELECTIVELY, + HE SAID.
+
0
/18