SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1984
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DESPITE SOME DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED BY EMPLOYERS ABOUT THE MOBILITY OF SHA TIN WORKERS, THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT THEY WERE LESS MOBILE IN COMPAR LSON WITH THE TERRITORY-WIDE PATTERN, WITH ALMOST 40 PER CENT SAYING THAT THEY HAD NOT CHANGED THEIR JOBS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
ON REASONS FOR WORKING IN SHA TIN, 42 PER CENT SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF PLACE OF WORK TO RESIDENCE AND 23 PER CENT SAID THEY HAD MOVED WHEN THEIR FIRMS HAD DECIDED TO DO SO. THIRTY EIGHT PER CENT SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY DIFFICULTIES IN WORKING IN SHA TIN.
ON TRANSPORTATION, HOWEVER, 31 PER CENT CLAIMED IT WAS INCONVENIENT AND 22 PER CENT COMPLAINED ABOUT INADEQUATE TRANSPORT PROVIDED. OTHER COMPLAINTS WERE ABOUT THE INADEQUACY OF RECREATIONAL AND SHOPPING FACILITIES, MEDICAL SERVICES, ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES, CANTEEN FACILITIES AND CULTURAL VENUES.
IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WAS SUGGESTED BY 24.2 PER CENT OF WORKERS, BUT A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT, TAI WAI RAILWAY STATION HAD OPENED AND CONSTRUCTION OF A STATION AT FO TAN HAD STARTED.
ABOUT 42 PER CENT OF WORKERS HAD LUNCH IN THE FACTORY CANTEEN, THE SURVEY DISCOVERED.
SALARIES OF WORKERS RANGED FROM A LOW OF UNDER $2 000 PER MONTH TO A HIGH OF OVER $5 000 PER MONTH, WITH MOST IN THE $1 500 - $2 000 RANGE.
THE SURVEY SAID THE POPULATION OF SHA TIN WAS 237 670 AND THE POTENTIAL INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE, THERFORE, 46 108. ANOTHER 10 614 INDUSTRIAL JOBS WOULD BE PROVIDED WHEN THE PRESENT NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WAS FULLY OCCUPIED.
THE GARMENT AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES EMPLOYED THE LARGEST NUMBER OF WORKERS IN SHA TIN (2 643), FOLLOWED BY ELECTRONICS (2 277). THERE WERE JUST OVER 1 000 INDUSTRIAL JOB VACANCIES IN THE NEW TOWN AT THE TIME THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED.
THE REPORT SHOWED THAT THERE WERE 49.28 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND IN SHA TIN OF WHICH ABOUT ONE QUARTER HAD BEEN DEVELOPED. ABOUT 3.5 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND HAD BEEN ADDED SINCE THE 1982 SURVEY.
THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF FLOOR SPACE (104 383.20 SQUARE METRES) WAS TAKEN BY WAREHOUSES, FOLLOWED BY GARMENTS AND TEXTILES (43 273.44 SQUARE METRES) AND FOOD (37 499.60 SQUARE METRES).
THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL SURVEY OF SHA TIN WAS CARRIED OUT IN APRIL, 1982.
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