WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1984
5
+WHILE AGREEING WITH THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE WHEN HE SPOKE ON THE APPROPRIATION BILL ON APRIL 25 THAT THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME IS A CENTRAL PILLAR OF OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, MUST POINT OUT THAT WORKERS ARE STILL LEFT
UNPROTECTED FOR MANY CONTINGENCIES, HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT AS THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WAS MEAN-TESTED, THE MAJORITY OF WORKERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM IT UNLESS THEY WERE DESTITUTE.
POINTING OUT THAT BOTH WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SETTING UP A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, DR HO ADDED, +THE GOVERNMENT IS IN A GOOD POSITION TO CONFIRM THE NEED IF IT GOES OUT AND ASK,+
EARLIER DR HO QUERIED WHETHER IT WAS THE MOST ECONOMICAL AND REALISTIC APPROACH FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE RECOURSE TO LABOUR LEGISLATION WHENEVER PROVISION OF SECURITY WAS NECESSARY FOR WORKERS WHO WERE EXPOSED TO SUCH CONTINGENCIES AS CHILD BIRTH, SICKNESS, INJURY AND DISMISSAL.
+MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMY. THE COLLECTIVE AND CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF VARIOUS STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BRING FINANCIAL BURDEN TO EMPLOYERS AND INFLATE COST OF PRODUCTION.
+PRESSURE FROM THE EMPLOYEES' ORGANISATIONS TO FURTHER IMPROVE LABOUR WELFARE AND THE INCREASING TENDENCY TO RESORT TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TO SETTLE LABOUR DISPUTE WILL BRING RESISTENCE FROM EMPLOYERS AND HAMPER LABOUR RELATION, DR HO SAID.
HE WARNED THAT BOTH SITUATION WOULD DO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
THE HON ANDREW SO ALSO EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT UNRESTRAINED WELFARE FOR THE WORK FORCE WOULD IMPEDE THE INITIATIVE OF SOCIETY.
+ IT IS OUR AIM TO GO STEP BY STEP WITHIN OUR CAPABILITY AND TRY OUR BEST TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF THE WORKERS ON THE BASIS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, FOR HONG KONG WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM ANY DRASTIC REFORM, + MR SO SAID.
+WHILE WE SYMPATHISE WITH THE REDUNDANT WORKERS FOR THEIR BITTER HARDSHIP, LET US NOT FORGET THE DIFFICULTIES FACING THE EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE TO MAKE THE IR WORKERS REDUNDANT.
+SINCERE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IS AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN BRINGING PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS TO OUR SOCIETY, + HE SAID.
+THE HISTORY OF THIS BILL SERVES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO MAKE PROGRESS IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE HAVE-NOTS OF HONG KONG WHERE REAL WAGES HAVE REMAINED STAGNANT IN MANUFACTORY INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THAT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A DECADE,+ REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN SAID.
/HE POINTED