WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1980
EMPLOYERS URGED TO BE SENSITIVE TO CHANGES
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.N. HENDERSON, TODAY URGED EMPLOYERS TO BE SENSITIVE TO FACTORS THAT ARE RESULTING IN A CHANGING PATTERN OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS.
HE WAS SPEAKING ON +EMPLOYEE RELATIONS+ AT A TWO-DAY CONFERENCE, ENTITLED +PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT INTO THE 80'S+, ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.
AMONG THE FACTORS CITED BY MR HENDERSON ARE A MUCH MORE EDUCATED YOUNG WORKFORCE, UPGRADING OF INDUSTRY, GREATER NEED FOR QUALITY CONTROL, AND GREATER PRODUCTIVITY.
IN ADDITION, THE LOCAL POLITICAL CLIMATE IS CHANGING IN THAT ISSUES ARE RAISED MORE FREELY AND WITH MORE CONFIDENCE BY UNIONS, PRESSURE GROUPS AND THE MEDIA.
DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA'S FOUR MODERNISATIONS IS ALSO HAVING ITS EFFECT ON THE LOCAL SCENE.
+ALL THESE FACTORS OF CHANGE AND MANY OTHERS I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO MENTION CANNOT HELP BUT RESULT IN A CHANGING PATTERN OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS.
+ IT IS UP TO YOU THE PERSONNEL MANAGERS - TO PERCEIVE THESE IN RELATION TO YOUR OWN ORGANISATIONS, AND BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH IN YOUR APPROACH TO EMPLOYEE RELATIONS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THESE CHANGES AND BE SENSITIVE TO THEM,+ MR HENDERSON TOLD THE CONFERENCE.
HE SAID MANY RESPONSES WERE POSSIBLE, FROM JOINT CONSULTATION TO MANY OTHER FORMS OF EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION. THERE WERE ALSO MANY DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS POSSIBLE WITH UNIONS AND IT WAS UNWISE TO PRETEND THAT THEY DID NOT EXIST.
+YOUR TASK IS TO FIND FIRST THE RIGHT MIX AND APPROACH FOR YOUR OWN ORGANISATION, SECONDLY TO ENSURE THAT YOUR ATTITUDES AND STRUCTURAL RESPONSES ARE SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE TO MEET THE CHANGES IN EMPLOYEE RELATIONS IN THE NEXT DECADE, AND THIRDLY THAT THEY ARE APPROPRIATE TO THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF OUR SOCIETY IN HONG KONG, HE ADDED.
MR HENDERSON MENTIONED TWO ASPECTS OF WORK WHICH ARE NOT USUALLY CONSIDERED AS PART OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS.
THE FIRST, HE EXPLAINED, WAS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, IN WHICH THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE VERY MUCH A CONSIDERATION OF THE WHOLE FABRIC OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, AND NOT TREATED IN ISOLATION.
THE SECOND WAS THE NEED FOR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS TO COVER MORE COMPREHENSIVELY ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING CONDITIONS.
THE COMMISSIONER