MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1981
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MR LIN POINTED OUT THAT THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR FAILING TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE AND PROPER SAFEGUARDS AGAINST FALL OF PERSONS FROM SKIP HOISTS AND WORKING PLATFORMS HAD BEEN RAISED FROM $10 000 TO $50 000 SINCE LAST APRIL.
THE INCREASED MAXIMUM WAS THE RESULT OF A GENERAL REVISION OF THE LEVEL OF FINES UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS AIMING AT PROVIDING A MORE EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO BUILDING CONTRACTORS WHO DID NOT GIVE THE CONSIDERATION TO SAFETY AT WORK, HE EXPLAINED.
LABOUR RELATIONS WORKSHOP OPENS
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LACK OF OPEN-MINDEDNESS, A COMMUNICATION GAP AND UNSOUND MANAGEMENT STYLES AND PRACTICES ARE THE MAJOR CAUSES OF LABOUR DISPUTES IN HONG KONG.
THIS WAS STATED BY ACTING ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR DONALD S.T. CHAN, AT THE OPENING OF THE SECOND LABOUR RELATIONS WORKSHOP AT QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM TODAY (MONDAY).
THE WORKSHOP IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AS PART OF A YEAR-LONG PROJECT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
THE PROJECT AIMS AT PROVIDING TRAINING TO PERSONNEL MANAGERS AND TRADE UNION LEADERS ON LABOUR RELATIONS AND RELATED SUBJECTS TO STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN HONG KONG.
IN HIS OPENING REMARKS, MR CHAN SAID THE TWO SIDES OF INDUSTRY - MANAGEMENT AND LABOUR HAVE AN IMPORTANT AREA OF MUTUAL INTEREST, THAT IS, PROSPERITY FOR THE ENTERPRISE. BUT MANY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THIS COMMON INTEREST IN THE PURSUIT OF THE IR SEPARATE INTERESTS.
HE SAID THAT THEY SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER FOR THEIR COMMON GOOD INSTEAD OF TRYING TO EXCEL AT THE OTHER'S EXPENSE.
MR CHAN WENT ON TO SAY THAT A COMMUNICATION GAP EXISTS BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND LABOUR BECAUSE, AMONG OTHER REASONS, TRADE UNIONS ARE STILL LARGELY NOT RECOGNISED BY THE EMPLOYERS AND THAT ONLY SOME 30 BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS ARE KNOWN TO BE OPERATING FORMAL JOINT CONSULTATION.
IN THE FACE OF THIS COMMUNICATION GAP, MANY EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS +SEE THE JUSTICE OF THEIR VIEW TOO CLEARLY AND PERHAPS TOO CLOSELY THAT THEY HAVE BECOME IMPERIOUS TO THE LEGITIMACY OF THE OTHER'S POINTS OF VIEW+, HE NOTED.
MR CHAN URGED EMPLOYERS TO ADOPT MANAGEMENT STYLES CONDUCIVE TO GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS AND AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY IN STAFF MATTERS- TO ESTABLISH CLEAR AND SIMPLE TWO-WAY CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION AND TO ENCOURAGE AND UTILISE STAFF PARTICIPATION IN MATTERS THAT AFFECT THE IR WELL-BEING.
/SPEAKING ALSC