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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1963
LRS HELPS SETTLE PROBLEMS
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A TOTAL OF 19 409 HONG KONG WORKERS LAST YEAR RECEIVED $62 MILLION FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS AFTER THE IR LABOUR-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS .ERE SETTLED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE (LRS) OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
OF THIS SUM, $29 667 709 OR ABOUT 47.2 PER CENT, WAS SEVERANCE PAYMENTS MADE TO 8 335 EMPLOYEES RENDERED REDUNDANT BY OPERATIONAL OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
THE REMAINING $33 072 384 WAS PAID AS ARREARS OF WAGES, WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS DUE TO 19 409 EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING 8 335 WHO RECEIVED SEVERANCE PAYMENTS.
IN THE SAME YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED, THE LRS HANDLED 174 TRADE DISPUTES, OF WHICH 98, OR MORE THAN 56.3 PER CENT, WERE SETTLED WITH THE HELP OF THE LRS.
THE LRS ALSO PROVIDED CONCILIATION FOR 16 501 CLAIMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE OR THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT: SETTLED 8 329 OR SOME 50.4 PER CENT OF THEM, AND REFERRED MOST OF THE REMAINDER TO THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL FOR JUDICIAL DECISION.
IT ALSO INVESTIGATED 197 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 1982, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT, THERE WERE 34 WORK STOPPAGES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, RESULTING IN 17 960 WORKING DAYS LOST. THIS REPRESENTED AN AVERAGE OF 8.41 DAYS LOST PER THOUSAND EMPLOYEES.
THE AVERAGE FIGURE IS CONSIDERED LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND IS A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS,+ HE SAID.
IN THE SAME YEAR, THE LRS HANDLED 272 754 ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS, COMPARED WITH 226 290 CASES IN 1981. MOST OF THESE CONCERNED THE PROVISIONS IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OTHER MATTERS CONCERNING LABOUR RELATIONS.
+ THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS REFLECTS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE NOW ATTACHED TO LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BY BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, HE SAID.
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