MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1993
"THESE WORKERS, THOUGH NOT ELIGIBLE TO CLAIM COMPENSATION UNDER THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS (COMPENSATION) ORDINANCE WHICH CAME INTO OPERATION ON JANUARY 1, 1981, DESERVE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, ' SHE ADDED.
H
THE LABOUR COMMISSIONER ALSO POINTED OUT THAT ANOTHER FORM OF ASSISTANCE IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO PNEUMOCONIOTICS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM SEVERE INCAPACITY.
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"UNDER THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME ADMINISTERED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, A PERSON WHO IS ELIGIBLE MAY CLAIM A DISABILITY ALLOWANCE OR A HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, MRS FOR SAID.
"THE EX-GRATIA PAYMENT WOULD BE PAYABLE ON TOP OF SUCH ALLOWANCES," SHE ADDED.
REGARDING A GRANT OF $10 MILLION AS PROPOSED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MRS FOK SAID A NEW FUND WOULD BE SET UP TO PROVIDE INTEREST-FREE LOANS TO EMPLOYEES INJURED AT WORK AND TO THE DEPENDANTS OF EMPLOYEES WHO DIE AS A RESULT OF WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS.
"UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE, EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INJURED AT WORK OR DIR AS A RESULT OF WORK ACCIDENTS ARE ENTITLED ΤΟ RECEIVE COMPENSATION FROM THE EMPLOYERS, SHE SAID.
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"VERY OFTEN, THIS GROUP OF VICTIMS OF WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS FACE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP WHILE THEY ARE WAITING FOR PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION.
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***THE PROPOSED LOAN SCHEME IS TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF FROM HARDSHIP FOR THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE, MRS FOK ADDED.
DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE, THE COMMISSJONER FOR LABOUR SAID FINANCIAL PROVISIONS SOUGHT FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR WAS $293.6 MILLION.
THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 16 PER CENT OVER THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR OR 0.8 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
THE PROVISIONS SOUGHT FOR NEXT YEAR REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF 17 POSTS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSTS IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM 1,329 TO 1,346.
"THE ADDITIONAL POSTS ARE MAINLY INTENDED TO COPE WITH THE INCREASE OF WORKLOAD IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, MRS FOR SAID.
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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED A WORK SIMPLIFICATION SCHEME TO MAKE ITS PROCEDURES MUCH SIMPLER AND MORE COST-EFFECTIVE, THE LABOUR COMMISSIONER NOTED.
THE
SHE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD AMENDED
COMPENSATION ORDINANCE TO SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES FOR MINOR COMPENSATION CASES.
EMPLOYEES' EMPLOYEES'
"DURING THE