SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1992
MORE EMPLOYERS PROSECUTED FOR LABOUR OFFENCES
THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SUCCEEDED IN SECURING CONSIDERABLY MORE CONVICTIONS OF OFFENDERS OF LABOUR LAW LAST YEAR IN ITS BID TO BETTER PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF WORKERS.
ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENTAL STATISTICS, 3,889 CASES SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT TO THE COURTS DURING THE PERIOD, RESULTING TOTAL FINE OF $15.54 MILLION.
WERE
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"THIS REPRESENTS A 23 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHICH HAD RECORDED 3,156 CASES WITH FINES TOTALLING $13.19 SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER (PROSECUTIONS) MR JOHN SUNG SAID.
"THE FACT THAT MANY MORE EMPLOYERS HAD ΤΟ PAY MALPRACTICES SHOULD MAKE THEM TAKE A MORE SERIOUS VIEW OF AND WELFARE OF WORKERS, MR SUNG ADDED.
MILLION,
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FOR THEIR THE SAFETY
COMMENTING ON THE PROSECUTION FIGURES LAST YEAR, MR SUNG NOTED THAT ABOUT 53 PER CENT OF THE CONVICTED CASES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL SAFETY OFFENCES.
"THEY INCLUDED 968 CASES OF BREACHES OF THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS, WITH FINES TOTALLING $3.86 MILLION," HE SAID, ADDING THAT IN ONE CASE AN EMPLOYER WAS FINED $20,000 UNDER THE GENERAL DUTY PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE.
"OF THESE CASES, 206 WERE AGAINST EMPLOYERS WHO HAD FAILED то EFFECTIVELY GUARD DANGEROUS PARTS OF POWER PRESS WHILE ANOTHER 207 CASES CONCERNED FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXIT DOORWAYS FREE FROM OBSTRUCTION," HE NOTED.
WORKERS, MR SUNG SAID SITES (SAFETY }
AS REGARDS THE SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION THERE WERE 1,092 CONVICTIONS UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS, WITH FINES TOTALLING $8.38 MILLION.
"THESE INCLUDED, IN PARTICULAR,
388 CASES AGAINST EMPLOYERS FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE FENCES OR COVERINGS ΤΟ FLOOR EDGES, EXCAVATIONS, OPENINGS AND OTHER DANGEROUS PLACES ON SITE то PREVENT THE FALL OF PERSONS, HE SAID.
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WHO
"ANOTHER 186 PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN OUT AGAINST EMPLOYERS HAD FAILED TO PROVIDE SAFETY HELMETS TO WORKERS OR TO ENSURE THAT THEY WORE SUCH HELMETS WHILE ON SITE, HE ADDED.
APART FROM INDUSTRIAL SAFETY OFFENCES, THERE WERE 1,607 CONVICTIONS OF VIOLATION OF WELFARE PROVISIONS UNDER THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY), EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGULATIONS, AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCES. THE FINES IMPOSED MILLION.'.
RELATIONS AND TOTALLED $2.71
/"THE MAJORITY