34
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1992
"EMPLOYERS WHO GIVE FALSE STATEMENTS AND
MISREPRESENTATION
RELATING TO VISA APPLICATION WILL BE SEVERELY DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, AND WILL BE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE 11 HE OF $20,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS ON SUMMARY CONVICTION, SAID.
WHEN AN EMPLOYER IS GIVEN APPROVAL-IN-PRINCIPLE то IMPORT
THE LABOUR,
LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL SEND HIM A WRITTEN REMINDER EXPLAINING TO HIM THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT UNDER THE SCHEME AND RELEVANT LABOUR LEGISLATION AS WELL AS THE INCREASED PENALTY FOR BREACHING SUCH REQUIREMENTS.
TO REMIND IMPORTED
AND
WORKERS OF THEIR STATUTORY RIGHTS CHANNELS TO LODGE COMPLAINTS, MR MAK SAID INFORMATION LEAFLETS PRINTED AT IN
WORKERS SIMPLIFIED CHINESE CHARACTERS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THEIR POINT OF ENTRY INTO HONG KONG.
"A HANDY INFORMATION CARD CONTAINING THE LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION
HOTLINE NUMBERS, AS WELL AS DEPARTMENTS' COMPLAINT
COPIES OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, WILL ALSO BE GIVEN TO IMPORTED WORKERS DURING VISITS TO THEIR WORKPLACES OR DORMITORIES BY LABOUR
HE INSPECTORS,
SAID.
לו
"THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT THE WORKERS ARE FULLY INFORMED OF THEIR TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING THE LEVELS OF WAGES," HE EXPLAINED.
T
"WE WILL ALSO ARRANGE BRIEFING SESSIONS FOR BOTH IMPORTED WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS ON THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE LABOUR LAWS AND CONDITIONS OF THE SCHEME, HE SAID, NOTING THAT
WILL THE DEPARTMENT'S COMPLAINT HOTLINE
BE
THROUGH WELL-PUBLICISED
THE MASS MEDIA.
MR MAK GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL TAKE VIGOROUS ACTIONS TO ENFORCE THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT UNDER THE SCHEME.
"A THIRD SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM OF SIX LABOUR INSPECTORS WILL BE SET UP
OF TO STRENGTHEN INSPECTION ON PRACTICALLY ALL PLACES EMPLOYMENT AND QUARTERS OF IMPORTED WORKERS," HE SAID.
"SUSPECTED CASES OF IRREGULARITIES AND COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PAYMENT OF WAGES AND OTHER MAJOR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT WILL BE
BY OUR LABOUR RELATIONS DIVISION WHICH INVESTIGATED
WILL BE GIVEN ADDITIONAL MANPOWER RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE, HE ADDED.
VIEW
MR MAK STRESSED THAT THE DEPARTMENT TAKES A VERY SERIOUS OF ABUSES BY EMPLOYERS UNDER THE SCHEME AND WILL TAKE OUT PROSECUTION AGAINST OFFENDERS WHENEVER THERE IS EVIDENCE.
"IF
IS DISMISSED MAINLY
BECAUSE
OF
WORKER AN IMPORTED
ALLOWED COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS EMPLOYER ABOUT EXPLOITATION, HE WILL BE
ANOTHER FIND
JOB IN THE SAME INDUSTRY BY HIMSELF OR WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.
ΤΟ
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"WE HOPE THIS WILL ENCOURAGE EXPLOITED WORKERS TO COME FORWARD WITH INFORMATION ABOUT BAD EMPLOYERS, MR MAK SAID.
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