MONDAY, JULY 6, 1987
6
LONG SERVICE PAYMENT PROVISIONS IMPROVED
ENDORSED
A
THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD (LAB) TODAY (MONDAY) NUMBER OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT PROVISIONS UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE DURING ITS MEETING.
USEFUL VIEWS WERE EXPRESSED BY EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES' REPRESENTATIVES AT THE MEETING.
AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS, MEMBERS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE THAT LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER RESIGNATIONS ON GROUNDS OF ILLNESS AND OLD AGE. AS REGARDS DETAILS, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT UNDERTOOK TO CARRY OUT FURTHER STUDIES.
THE BOARD ALSO SUPPORTED PROPOSALS THAT PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DEPENDANTS OF AN EMPLOYEE WHO DIED IN SERVICE, AND THAT FOR LONG SERVICE PAYMENT PURPOSES,
AN EMPLOYEE WHOSE RE-EMPLOYMENT AFTER RETIREMENT SHOULD BE REGARDED AS SEPARATE FROM HIS PREVIOUS
EMPLOYMENT.
IN ADDITION, IT AGREED THAT A PROVISION, SIMILAR TO THE SEVERANCE PAY PROVISION, SHOULD BE INTRODUCED TO COVER NON-MANUAL WORKERS WHOSE WAGES WERE BELOW THE WAGE CEILING, I.E. $11,500 A MONTH, WITHIN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO DISMISSAL.
ON THE QUESTION OF QUALIFYING PERIOD OF SERVICE REQUIRED AND THE AMOUNT OF LONG SERVICE PAYMENT FOR WORKERS BELOW THE AGE OF 45, MEMBERS HAD EXPRESSED DIFFERENT VIEWS. IT WAS RESOLVED THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD FURTHER CONSULT THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER AND LAB MEMBERS WITH A VIEW ΤΟ FINDING A CONSENSUS OPINION.
AT THE MEETING, THE BOARD ALSO ENDORSED PROPOSALS TO AMEND THE PROTECTION OF WAGES ON INSOLVENCY ORDINANCE TO EMPOWER THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR TO MAKE EX-GRATIA PAYMENT TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS UNABLE TO PRESENT A BANKRUPTCY PETITION AGAINST HIS INSOLVENT EMPLOYER SOLELY BECAUSE THE DEBT DOES NOT EXCEED $5,000.
THEY FURTHER AGREED TO INCREASE THE LEVELS OF COMPENSATION UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE AND THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS (COMPENSATION) ORDINANCE AS FROM JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR TO BRING THEM IN LINE WITH WAGE INCREASES.
TODAY'S MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR DARWIN CHEN.
ET
1
17