SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1986
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LABOUR LAW OFFENCES DROP AS FINES GO UP
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THE NUMBER OF LABOUR LAW OFFENCES HAD DROPPED CONSIDERABLY Ik 1985 AS A RESULT OF STEPPED-UP ENFORCEMENT AND HEAVIER VERAGE FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEPARTMENT'S PROSECUTIONS DIVISION TOOK OUT 1 741 PROSECUTIONS LAST YEAR FOR BREACHES OF SAFETY REGULATIONS, RESULTING IN A TOTAL FINE OF $4 523 450 IMPOSED ON THOSE CONVICTED.
THE FIGURES COMPARED WITH 3 028 CASES AND A TOTAL FINE OF 44 934 100 IN 1984, HE SAID.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO TOOK OUT 1 828 PROSECUTIONS AGAINST EMPLOYERS FOR BREACHES OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS, THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS, THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE, THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGULATIONS AND PART IVB OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.
THESE CASES RESULTED IN FINES TOTALLING $1 863 990, COMPARED WITH 3 938 CASES IN 1984 AND $2 717 150 IN FINES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE LEVEL OF FINES FOR FACTORY SAFETY CASES LAST YEAR HAD SHOWN AN INCREASE OF 47.4 PER CENT OVER THAT OF 1984.
FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY CASES, THE INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF FINES WAS 74.1 PER CENT OVER THE YEAR 1984,
AS FOR CASES UNDER THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS, THE LEVEL OF FINES WAS 44 PER CENT OVER THAT OF 1984.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE INCREASES IN THE LEVEL OF FINES MIGHT HAVE A DETERRENT EFFECT WHICH PARTLY EXPLAINED THAT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT.
OTHER FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OFFENCES WERE THE STEPPED-UP ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF REVISED PROSECUTION GUIDELINES BY THE DEPARTMENT.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEPARTMENT'S PROSECUTIONS DIVISION, WITH THE HELP OF THE OPERATIONAL DIVISIONS, HAD BEEN CONCENTRATING ITS EFFORTS ON BRINGING THE MORE SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT OFFENDERS TO JUSTICE.
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