WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1990
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FORMATION OF CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY ENCOURAGED
THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS ENCOURAGED THE FORMATION OF CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY AT THE LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISES, ΤΟ HELP RESOLVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG, MR YEUNG SAID WHERE NEGOTIATIONS FAILED THE DEPARTMENT HAD ALWAYS SHOWN ITSELF WILLING TO MEDIATE.
"VOLUNTARY NEGOTIATION, UNDERPINNED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S CONCILIATION SERVICE, HAS SERVED US WELL, HE ADDED.
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REFERRING TO WHERE THE EXTENSION OF INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTION NO. 98 TO HONG KONG OBLIGED THE TERRITORY TO LEGISLATE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, MR YEUNG SAID THE OBLIGATION DID NOT EXIST.
HE SAID ARTICLE 4 OF THE CONVENTION PROVIDED THAT MEASURES APPROPRIATE TO NATIONAL CONDITIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN, WHERE NECESSARY, TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE FULL DEVELOPMENT AND UTILISATION OF MACHINERY FOR VOLUNTARY NEGOTIATION BETWEEN EMPLOYERS OR EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS AND WORKERS' ORGANISATIONS.
"IT IS CLEAR THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO NEGOTIATE ON A VOLUNTARY
BASIS, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THE CONVENTION HAVING CREATED AN OBLIGATION UPON THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY STATUTE.
"COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TENDS TO WORK EFFICIENTLY ONLY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE A SMALL NUMBER OF BUSINESSES EMPLOY LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE REPRESENTED BY TRADE UNIONS, AND WHERE BOTH SIDES CONSIDER IT MUTUALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TROUBLE AND EXPENSE OF NEGOTIATING AT THE LEVEL OF ENTERPRISES,' HE SAID,
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TO AVOID THE INDIVIDUAL
EXIST IN TERRITORY
MR YEUNG SAID SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT CLEARLY DID NOT HONG KONG GIVEN THE MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE AND HAVING REGARD TO THE FACT THAT THE LOCAL TRADE UNIONS REPRESENTED A RELATIVELY SMALL PROPORTION OF THE WORKFORCE.
ON THE LOSS OF WORKING DAYS THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ACTION, MR YEUNG SAID HONG KONG COMPARED FAVOURABLY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
"THE NUMBER OF MAN DAYS PER 10,000 WORKING MAN DAYS HONG KONG HAS LOST THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ACTION OVER THE THREE YEARS 1986 TO 1988 WAS 0.04, COMPARED WITH 0.12 FOR JAPAN, 0.13 FOR SOUTH KOREA, 1.86 FOR THE UNITED STATES AND 3.53 FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM.
"MOREOVER, OF THE 47,150 DISPUTES INVOLVING THE CONCILIATION SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT OVER THE THREE YEARS 1987 TO 1989, NO FEWER THAN 35,719 CASES, OR 76 PER CENT, HAVE BEEN RESOLVED SATISFACTORILY," HE SAID.
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