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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992
"WE MUST NOT LET OUR WORKERS BE MAROONED BY THE DECLINE OF ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIES OR BECOME THE CASUALTIES OF TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC REVOLUTIONS."
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HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE A START WITH AN EMPLOYEE RETRAINING SCHEME SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP WORKERS GAIN NEW SKILLS.
HONG KONG'S WORKFORCE WAS GROWING FAR MORE SLOWLY THAN THE ECONOMY ITSELF FEW OTHER ECONOMIES SHARED THAT PROBLEM, HE SAID.
YEAR.
SINCE 1986, THE WORKING POPULATION HAD RISEN BY LESS THAN 1% A
THE NUMBER OF YOUNGSTERS FINISHING THEIR EDUCATION AND TAKING UP WORK HAD ACTUALLY DECLINED BY 20% IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
THIS PUT VERY SERIOUS PRESSURE ON HONG KONG'S MANPOWER RESOURCES, MR PATTEN SAID.
HE SAID THE SHORTAGE HAD BEEN EASED SOMEWHAT BY LOOKING ABROAD FOR ADDITIONAL WORKERS.
THE GOVERNMENTS HÅD APPROVED THE EMPLOYMENT OF NEARLY 25,000 FOREIGN WORKERS UNDER THE GENERAL LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEME.
"AND WE MUST CONTINUE ΤΟ MAKE GOOD THE SHORTFALLS IN PARTICULAR OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS BY IMPORTING TALENT AND SKILLS FROM ELSEWHERE WITHOUT DAMAGING THE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG'S OWN WORKERS.'
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THE GOVERNOR ALSO STRESSED THAT THERE MUST BE NO ABUSES IN LABOUR MARKET.
THE
то
то MAKE THIS MESSAGE CLEAR, THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED INTRODUCE NEW MEASURES TO HIT OUT AT THOSE WHO TRIED TO PROFIT FROM ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND AT THOSE WHO EMPLOYED THEM.
"WE MUST TACKLE THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.
"
CONTRACTORS,
HE SAID MANY GOOD EMPLOYERS, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND THE UNIONS HAD PROPOSED A NUMBER OF IMAGINATIVE DETERRENTS, INCLUDING A REQUIREMENT FOR WORKERS TO DISPLAY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS AT ALL TIMES, POSSIBLY ON THEIR SAFETY HELMETS.
HE SAID,
"WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP THIS AND OTHER PROPOSALS WITH VIGOUR,
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