21
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1990
IN
ADDITION, A SCHEME FOR IMPORTING EXPERIENCED OPERATIVES WOULD BE ESTABLISHED, SUBJECT TO A QUOTA OF 10,000 WORKERS.
NEW
A SEPARATE SCHEME FOR THE IMPORTATION INITIALLY OF 2,000 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WOULD ALSO BE ESTABLISHED TO FACILITATE THE AIRPORT AND AIRPORT-RELATED PROJECTS:
MR YEUNG SAID THIS LIMITED IMPORTATION OF SKILLED WORKERS AND EXPERIENCED OPERATIVES WOULD BENEFIT THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE BY RELIEVING LABOUR SHORTFALLS IN CRITICAL AREAS AND ALSO BY COMPLEMENTING CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
HE SAID.
"THERE WILL BE NO LARGE SCALE IMPORTATION OF UNSKILLED LABOUR,
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HE ADDED THAT RELAXATION OF THE SCHEME DID NOT MEAN CHEAP LABOUR, AND THAT IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF LOCAL WORKERS, EMPLOYERS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY FAIR WAGES.
ADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT EMPLOYERS COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS FOR BRINGING IN FOREIGN WORKERS, HE SAID.
ON THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE SCHEME FOR IMPORTING TECHNICIANS, CRAFTSMEN AND SUPERVISORS, MR YEUNG SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE PRESENT SCHEME HAD PROVIDED SOME RELIEF TO THOSE SECTORS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE SHORTAGES, THE EXCESS DEMAND HAD PERSISTED AND FURTHER RELIEF WAS NECESSARY.
"BUT IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF LOCAL WORKERS AND BECAUSE ONLY ABOUT 2,700 WORKERS HAVE BEEN APPROVED UNDER THE CURRENT SCHEME, THE NEW QUOTA SHOULD BE 2,700 WORKERS."
TURNING TO THE SCHEMES FOR IMPORTING EXPERIENCED OPERATIVES, MR YRUNG SAID AN EXPERIENCED OPERATIVE WAS DEFINED AS A PERSON WHO WAS ABLE TO START WORK WITHOUT TRAINING IN A HONG KONG-BASED VOCATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTION.
"AT THE OPERATIVE LEVEL, THIS WOULD GENERALLY MEAN AT LEAST ONE YEAR'S EXPERIENCE IN THE RELEVANT JOB.'
..
NEW
FOR
HE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO LATEST STATISTICS, THE VACANCY RATIO BETWEEN TECHNICIANS/CRAFTSMEN AND OPERATIVES WAS 1:3.7. GIVEN THE QUOTA
WORKERS FOR 2,700
THE TECHNICIANS/CRAFTSMEN, OPERATIVES WOULD BE 10,000 WORKERS.
OF
QUOTA
INDUSTRIES
WOULD
BR
FOR THE PURPOSE OF QUOTA ALLOCATION, A LIST OF RANKED
ORDER OF PRIORITY ON THE BASIS OF VACANCY RATES IN PUBLISHED TOGETHER WITH THE MEDIAN WAGE LEVEL FOR OPERATIVES IN EACH INDUSTRY.
ONLY
THOSE APPLICATIONS OFFERING WAGES AT OR ABOVE THE LEVEL WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
MEDIAN
THAT HAVE BEEN THE HIGHEST
IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THAT THOSE INDUSTRIES SUFFERING FROM THE HIGHEST VACANCY RATES AND SUSTAINING GROWTH RATE IN WAGES WOULD BE GIVEN A HIGHER PRIORITY.
/HALF OF