MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1982
6
LABOUR DEPARTMENT REVIEWS ORGANISATION
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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING ITS ORGANISATION TO SEE HOW IT CAN BEST FIT INTO THE NEW PATTERN FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION,
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, DR JAMES HAYES, WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES THIS (MONDAY) EVENING.
DR HAYES, WHO WAS FORMERLY THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT BOARD, SAID HE WAS NATURALLY INTERESTED IN DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES TO DISTRICTS, AND ASSISTANCE TO THE BOARDS.
HE WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN WHAT DISTRICTS COULD DO FOR HIS DEPARTMENT.
+THE TWO ELEMENTS, SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN THE SHAPING OF THE DEPARTMENT AND CHANGES TO LABOUR LEGISLATION THROUGH THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF OPINIONS AND INFORMATION, CAN COME TOGETHER AT DISTRICT LEVEL,+ HE NOTED.
DR HAYES POINTED OUT THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD 12 DIVISIONS (13 INCLUDING THE MINES DIVISION) AND ITS SERVICES WERE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
IT HAD 69 DIVISIONAL OFFICES OPERATING FROM 35 SUB-OFFICES, OFFERING ITS DIVISIONAL SERVICES TO THOSE DISTRICTS AND AREAS WHERE, BY ITS MANNING CRITERIA, THE NEED WAS GREATEST. NINETEEN OF THE DIVISIONAL OFFICES WERE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, 32 IN KOWLOON AND 18 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
HOWEVER, BY SETTING UP OFFICES IN ALL THE 18 DISTRICTS WHERE DISTRICT BOARDS WERE LOCATED, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CUT ACROSS THE PRESENT ECONOMICAL METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICES.
+ IN THIS CONNECTION | HAVE TO MAKE THE POINT THAT NOT ALL OUR SERVICES ARE REQUIRED IN ALL DISTRICTS. OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS NO POINT IN HAVING A DISTRICT FACTORY INSPECTORATE IN A DISTRICT WITHOUT ANY FACTORIES, HE NOTED.
NONETHELESS, DR HAYES CONTINUED, THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR HIS STAFF TO WORK WITH AND ASSIST DISTRICT BOARDS AND DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES, AND THE DEPARTMENT COULD BENEFIT FROM A CLOSER INVOLVEMENT WITH OTHER PARTIES AT DISTRICT LEVEL.
/+1 PERSONALLY