8
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1989
LAB DISCUSSES WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES
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THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD AT ITS MEETING TODAY (MONDAY) DISCUSSED A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE TO COVER THE CATERING TRADE WHICH HAS IN RECENT YEARS BEEN THE SOURCE OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF NON-INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
MEMBERS WERE TOLD THAT MORE THAN 13,330 ACCIDENTS TOOK PLACE IN THE TRADE LAST YEAR, REPRESENTING 31 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL 43,627 NON- INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
THE CAUSES OF THESE ACCIDENTS WERE VERY OFTEN SIMILAR IN NATURE TO INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS SUCH AS ELECTROCUTION, MACHINERY CUTS, BURNS, FALLS OF PERSON, POISONING, FIRE AND EXPLOSION.
IT IS HOPED THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WILL HELP UPGRADE SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR WORKERS IN THE TRADE AND BRING THEM BROADLY INTO LINE WITH THOSE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
USEFUL VIEWS WERE EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS AT THE MEETING. EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVES WERE GENERALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL WHILE EMPLOYER REPRESENTATIVES AGREED IN PRINCIPLE SUBJECT TO FURTHER DETAILS BEING WORKED OUT FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION, SUCH AS INSPECTIONS BY FACTORY INSPECTORS.
THE BOARD THEN STUDIED AND ENDORSED A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS то STRENGTHEN THE PROTECTION OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE RECRUITED FOR EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG OR WHO ARE REQUIRED TO WORK OUTSIDE KONG BY THEIR HONG KONG EMPLOYERS.
HONG
THE PROPOSALS INCLUDE:
TO EXTEND THE EMPLOYMENT
KONG
ORDINANCE TO COVER HONG EMPLOYEES WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY HONG KONG EMPLOYERS ΤΟ WORK WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY OUTSIDE HONG KONG SO AS TO ENABLE THEM TO PURSUE ANY CLAIMS THEY MAY HAVE AGAINST THEIR EMPLOYERS AFTER THEY RETURN TO HONG KONG; AND
TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACTS FOR EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG ORDINANCE TO NON-MANUAL WORKERS AND TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OFFERED TO AN EMPLOYEE ARE IN LINE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.
MEMBERS NEXT TURNED TO A PROPOSAL TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE DEFINITION OF "LAY-OFF" UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.
AT THE BOARD'S MEETING IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, MEMBERS HAD ALREADY AGREED THAT AN EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO BE LAID OFF IF NON- PROVISION OF WORK BY HIS EMPLOYER AMOUNTS TO MORE THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NORMAL WORKING DAYS IN ANY PERIOD OF FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS.
/TO FURTHER