MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1988
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PROPOSAL TO REMOVE WAGE CEILING DISCUSSED BY LAB
THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD MET TODAY (MONDAY) ΤΟ DISCUSS A PROPOSAL TO REMOVE THE WAGE CEILING FOR NON-MANUAL EMPLOYEES UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.
AT PRESENT THE LAW APPLIES TO ALL MANUAL EMPLOYEES IRRESPECTIVE OF WAGES AND TO NON-MANUAL EMPLOYEES WHOSE WAGES DO NOT EXCEED $11,500 A MONTH. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT TWO PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ARE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE ORDINANCE.
USEFUL VIEWS WERE EXPRESSED BY EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES REPRESENTATIVES AT THE MEETING.
ALTHOUGH OPINIONS WERE DIVIDED, MOST MEMBERS WERE IN FAVOUR OF THE PROPOSAL TO REMOVE THE WAGE CEILING FOR NON-MANUAL EMPLOYEES AND TO SET A LIMIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CALCULATING SEVERANCE PAYMENT AND LONG SERVICE PAYMENT FOR THIS GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, AND FOR THIS LIMIT TO BE REVISED AS AND WHEN NECESSARY BY RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HOWEVER, SOME MEMBERS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MANUAL AND NON-MANUAL EMPLOYEES IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. IT WAS AGREED THAT FURTHER CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN ΤΟ THIS QUESTION.
THE BOARD ALSO AGREED ΤΟ SEND A TRIPARTITE DELEGATION ATTEND THE 75TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE HELD IN GENEVA IN JUNE THIS YEAR.
TO
TO BE
ASSISTANT
THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WOULD COMPRISE AN COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, A REPRESENTATIVE OF EMPLOYERS AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF EMPLOYEES.
AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, MR TONY HAMMOND, GAVE A VOTE OF THANKS TO A RETIRING MEMBER, MR J.A. CHEETHAM. MR CHEETHAM HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD SINCE 1975.
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