-
MONDAY, JULY 6, 1992
LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD SUPPORTS BETTER EMPLOYEE WELFARE
THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD TODAY (MONDAY) ENDORSED A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS AIMED AT IMPROVING EMPLOYEES' WELFARE.
A MAJOR PROPOSAL IS TO REMOVE THE MAXIMUM LEVELS ON COMPENSATION FOR PERMANENT INCAPACITY AND DEATH UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE (ECO).
UNDER THE PROPOSAL, COMPENSATION FOR PERMANENT INCAPACITY WILL BE COMPUTED BY MULTIPLYING THE INJURED EMPLOYEE'S MONTHLY EARNINGS, WHICH WILL BE SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF $15,000, BY THE PRESCRIBED NUMBER OF MONTHS FOR HIS AGE GROUP AND BY THE PERCENTAGE OF PERMANENT INCAPACITY.
COMPENSATION FOR DEATH WILL BE CALCULATED
MULTIPLYING THE DECEASED EMPLOYEE'S MONTHLY EARNINGS, ALSO SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF $15,000, BY THE PRESCRIBED NUMBER OF MONTHS FOR HIS AGE GROUP.
THE MAXIMUM MONTHLY EARNINGS OF $15,000 TO BE ADOPTED IS IN LINE WITH THE WAGE CEILING USED FOR CALCULATING SEVERANCE AND LONG SERVICE PAYMENTS UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND BOTH WILL BE REVIEWED CONCURRENTLY IN FUTURE TO KEEP PACE WITH WAGE MOVEMENT.
BOARD MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT OF THE 85,097 EMPLOYEES INJURED LAST YEAR, 81,559, OR 95.84 PER CENT, WERE EARNING $15,000 LESS PER MONTH AND THAT THE PROPOSAL WILL ENABLE THE GREAT MAJORITY OF INJURED EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE FULL COMPENSATION.
AS REGARDS EMPLOYEES EARNING MORE THAN $15,000 A MONTH, THEIR COMPENSATION WILL ALSO INCREASE AS A RESULT OF THE REMOVAL OF THE MAXIMUM LEVELS.
THE BOARD ALSO SUPPORTED A PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE THE COVERAGE OF THE PROTECTION OF WAGES ON INSOLVENCY FUND SO THAT EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE HIGHER EX-GRATIA PAYMENT SHOULD THEIR EMPLOYERS BECOME INSOLVENT.
THE PROPOSAL SEEKS TO RAISE THE MAXIMUM LIMIT ON EX-GRATIA PAYMENT OF ARREARS OF WAGES FROM THE FUND ΤΟ $12,000 PER APPLICANT INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT $8,000.
ALSO THE MAXIMUM COVERAGE FOR WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE INCREASED TO $6,000, COMPARED WITH SEVEN DAYS' WAGES UP TO PRESENT.
WILL ВЕ $2.000 AT
ANOTHER PROPOSAL AGREED BY THE BOARD WAS TO AMEND THE FIRST SCHEDULE TO THE ECO SO AS TO ADJUST THE PERCENTAGES OF LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY PRESCRIBED FOR SOME INJURIES TO BRING THEM TO A LEVEL COMPARABLE TO THOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
/THE PROPOSED