WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1984
6
HE POINTED OUT THAT TWO ORIGINAL PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY THE ADMINISTRATION, NAMELY TO REDUCE THE LENGTH OF QUALIFYING SERVICE FROM 24 MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS AND TO ADD A REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE WORK FOR 40 WORKING DAYS IN 10 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS, HAD BEEN DEFERRED WITH THE RESULT THAT HALF A BILL WAS LEFT.
+ I SUPPORT THE HALF BILL AS BEING BETTER THAN NO BILL. I DO STRONGLY EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THE DEFERMENT WILL NOT BE ANOTHER THREE YEARS OR SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT SMALL STEP FORWARD IS PROPOSED.
BUT
+AND DURING THE PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT STEP I HOPE THE ADMINISTRATION WILL RECONSIDER NOT ONLY THE TWO SECTIONS REMOVED FROM THIS BILL BUT ALSO THE VARIOUS OTHER PROPOSALS WHICH WERE PUT FORWARD OVER THE YEARS BY WORKERS' REPRESENTATIVES,+ HE SAID.
HE CITED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS AS EXAMPLES:
* RAISING THE AMOUNT OF SEVERANCE PAY TO ONE FULL MONTH;
*
*
REMOVING THE LIMIT OF BACK-DATING TO 1966 WHICH IS NOW MEANINGLESS BECAUSE 1966 IS NOW 18 YEARS AGO AND THE MAXIMUM SEVERANCE PAY WHICH CAN BE EARNED UNDER THIS PRESENT BILL IS FOR 18 YEARS' SERVICE, AND
REPLACING THE LIMIT OF A MAXIMUM OF ONE YEAR'S WAGES WITH THE AMOUNT FOR ACTUAL YEARS OF SERVICE.
HE NOTED THAT THESE LIMITATIONS WERE INITIALLY INTRODUCED IN 1974 SO THAT SMALL COMPANIES COULD HAVE TIME TO GET USED TO THE THEN NEW IDEA OF SEVERANCE PAY AND TO PREPARE THE NECESSARY FUNDING FOR PAYING A MORE REALISTIC RATE IN THE FUTURE.
+ IT IS NOW THE FUTURE, AND TEN YEARS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME FOR SUCH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL PREPARATION.
+ IF IT HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH, THEN PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO CONSIDER IMPOSING THE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE GUARANTEE OF COMPULSORY INSURANCE, HE SAID.
BILL.
WITH THESE VARIOUS REMARKS, THE UNOFFICIALS SUPPORTED THE
THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON RON BRIDGE, IN HIS REPLY TO POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, SAID THE BILL, WHICH WAS PASSED INTO LAW TODAY, WOULD MAKE A WORTHWHILE
IMPROVEMENT TO THE ALREADY SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF LABOUR LEGISLATION IN HONG KONG,
MR BRIDGE THANKED THE MEMBERS FOR THEIR CAREFUL STUDY OF THE BILL AND THEIR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR THE MEASURES PROPOSED TO IMPROVE PROVISIONS FOR SEVERANCE PAY.
'HE SHARED