12
-
FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1982
BUSY YEAR FOR LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE
*****
A TOTAL OF $73 MILLION WAS PAID TO 20 058 WORKERS LAST YEAR BY EMPLOYERS IN SETTLEMENT OF LABOUR-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE (LRS) OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
OF THE TOTAL $21 786 992, OR ABOUT 29.5 PER CENT, WAS FOR SEVERANCE PAYMENTS TO 4 317 EMPLOYEES RENDERED REDUNDANT BY OPERATIONAL OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE REMAINING SUM OF $52 037 021 WAS PAID AS ARREARS OF WAGES OR WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS DUE TO 20 058 EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE 4 317 WHO RECEIVED SEVERANCE PAYMENTS.
IN THE SAME YEAR THE LRS HANDLED 184 TRADE DISPUTES, OF WHICH 149, OR MORE THAN 80.9 PER CENT, WERE SETTLED WITH THE HELP OF THE SERVICE.
THE LRS ALSO PROVIDED CONCILIATION FOR 15 088 CLAIMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE OR THE TERMS OF CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT, SETTLED 8 344 OR SOME 55.3 PER CENT OF THEM, AND REFERRED MOST OF THE REMAINDER TO THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL FÖR DECISION.
THE LRS INVESTIGATED 322 MAJOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALLEGED BREACHES OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, SUCH AS FAILURE TO PROVIDE REST DAYS, HOLIDAYS WITH PAY, ANNUAL LEAVE WITH PAY AND IMPROPER DEDUCTIONS OF WORKERS' WAGES.
DURING 1981, THERE WERE 49 WORK STOPPAGES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, RESULTING IN 15 319 WORKING DAYS LOST, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 7.18 DAYS LOST PER THOUSAND EMPLOYEES.
*THE AVERAGE FIGURE WAS CONSIDERED LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND WAS A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE LRS ALSO HANDLED 226 290 ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS, COMPARED WITH 157 348 IN 1980, MOST OF THEM CONCERNED WITH PROVISIONS IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
THIS INCREASE SHOWED THAT BOTH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ATTACHED MORE IMPORTANCE TO LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
113