17
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1935
ACCORD SEEN ON EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION PLAN
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON RON BRIDGE, SAID TODAY HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE WOULD BE WELCOMED BY BOTH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.
MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1985 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR BRIDGE SAID THE AMENDMENTS HAD THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.
THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE HAD BEEN AMENDED IN 1982 TO PROVIDE FOR A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COMPENSATION SYSTEM.
THESE INCLUDED PROVISION FOR MINOR CLAIMS TO BE SETTLED QUICKLY AND CONVENIENTLY BY A CERTIFICATE OF ASSESSMENT ISSUED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, INSTEAD OF THE PREVIOUS TIME-CONSUMING REQUIREMENT FOR THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT IN EVERY CASE.
THE PRESENT BILL, HE SAID, PROPOSED TO APPLY THIS SIMPLIFIED SYSTEM TO A WIDER RANGE OF CLAIMS.
+TILL NOW THE SIMPL IF IED SYSTEM HAS APPLIED ONLY TO CLAIMS FOR INJURIES RESULTING IN TEMPORARY INCAPACITY FOR NOT MORE THAN 14 DAYS,+ MR BRIDGE SAID.
+THE PRESENT BILL PROPOSED TO EXTEND IT TO COVER ANY CASE IN WHICH NO PERMANENT INCAPACITY IS INVOLVED, HE SAID.
MR BRIDGE SAID THE SIMPLIFIED SYSTEM NOW COVERED ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF ALL EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION CASES AND THE EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO EXTEND IT TO ABOUT 87 PER CENT OF ALL CASES.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT INJURIES CAUSING PERMANENT INCAPACITY WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DEALT WITH BY THE TWO-TIER COMPENSATION BOARD SYSTEM INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 1982.
+THE OTHER AMENDMENTS PROPOSED IN THE BILL WERE INTENDED TO MAKE THE WORKING OF THE COMPENSATION BOARD SYSTEM MORE FLEXIBLE AND EFFICIENT, MR BRIDGE SAID.
+
+AT PRESENT, EMPLOYEES' CLAIMS ARE SOMETIMES PREJUDICED BY BREAKS IN SICK LEAVE ARISING FROM PURELY TECHNICAL REASONS, SUCH AS A GAP OF A FEW DAYS BETWEEN THE EXPIRY OF SICK LEAVE AND THE NEXT APPOINTMENT WITH THE DOCTOR, HE SAID.
/+THE BILL