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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1980
THE COMMISSIONER WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE BILL PROPOSED TO REMOVE THE $5 000 PER MONTH WAGE CEILING FOR NON-MANUAL EMPLOYEES, EXTENDING THE ORDINANCE TO COVER ALL EMPLOYEES IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR EARNINGS.
THIS WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE DISTINCTION, BOTH IN LEGAL TERMS AND PRACTICE, BETWEEN MANUAL AND NON-MANUAL WORKERS, MAS FAST DISAPPEARING IN MANY TRADES AND INDUSTRIES.
IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 55 000 EMPLOYEES WHO HAD HITHERTO BEEN UNPROTECTED WOULD BE BROUGHT WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE ORDINANCE BY THE AMENDMENT.
SPEAKING OF THE NEW LEVELS OF WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION PROPOSED BY THE BILL, MR HENDERSON SAID THE PRESENT MAXIMUM LEVELS OF $60 000 FOR DEATH AND $80 000 FOR PERMANENT TOTAL INCAPACITY WOULD BE RAISED TO $147 000 AND $168 000 RESPECTIVELY.
THE MINIMUM LEVELS WOULD BE RAISED FROM $9 000 FOR DEATH AND $12 800 FOR PERMANENT TOTAL INCAPACITY TO $49 000 AND $56 000 RESPECTIVELY.
AT THE SAME TIME THREE AGE GROUPS WOULD BE INTRODUCED TO AWARD COMPENSATION IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF MONTHS' EARNINGS, RECOGNISING THE FACT THAT A YOUNGER PERSON INJURED AT WORK INEVITABLY SUFFERED A GREATER LOSS OF FUTURE EARNING CAPACITY THAN AN OLDER PERSON,
FOR EMPLOYEES UNDER 40 YEARS OF AGE, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MONTHS' EARNINGS PROPOSED WAS 84 MONTHS FOR DEATH AND 96 MONTHS FOR PERMANENT TOTAL INCAPACITY FOR THOSE AGED 40 TO UNDER 56 THE LIMITS WERE 60 MONTHS AND 72 MONTHS AND FOR EMPLOYEES AGED 56 AND OVER, 36 MONTHS AND 48 MONTHS.
HOWEVER, THESE LIMITS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE PROPOSED MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM LEVELS.
MR HENDERSON SAID OTHER PROVISIONS PROPOSED BY THE BILL WERE 1
*
TO RAISE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MEDICAL AND BURIAL EXPENSES PAYABLE FOR A DECEASED EMPLOYEE LEAVING NO DEPENDANTS FROM $800 TO $2 000-
* TO RAISE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF CONSTANT ATTENTION
ALLOWANCE PAYABLE IN THE CASE OF TOTAL PERMANENT INCAPACITY FROM $32 000 TO $67 000-
*
*
TO REQUIRE AN EMPLOYER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR AND RENEWAL OF ANY PROSTHESES OR SURGICAL APPLIANCE FOR A WORKER FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS AFTER THE INITIAL FITTING, SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF $30 000, THE COST OF ANY FURTHER REPAIR AND RENEWAL AFTER THE PERIOD WOULD BE BORNE BY THE GOVERNMENT- AND
TO EXPAND THE CATEGORIES OF INJURY AND RAISE THE PERCENTAGE FIGURES LISTED IN THE FIRST SCHEDULE
IN THE ORDINANCE IN CERTAIN CASES TO BRING IT INTO LINE WITH CURRENT PRACTICE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
/MR HENDERSON