8
MONDAY, JULY 25, 1994
THEY AGREED THAT THE FEE FOR ISSUE AND RENEWAL OF AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY LICENCE BE REVISED FROM $1,000 TO $1,400 WHILE THE FEE FOR ISSUE OF A DUPLICATE LICENCE FOR OPERATING A BRANCH OFFICE FROM $200 TO $280.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AGREED IN THE PRINCIPLE AND THE DIRECTION ON A PROPOSAL, SUBMITTED BY SIX EMPLOYEES' REPRESENTATIVES, TO INTRODUCE THE GENERAL DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES AT WORK PLACES TO NON-INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, BUT SHOULD PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY.
THEY SUGGESTED THAT A TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE SET UP ΤΟ STUDY THE ISSUE.
MR YIU TOLD MEMBERS THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD CONSIDER SERIOUSLY THE PROPOSAL BUT HAD TO KEEP IN VIEW THE PRIORITY FOR THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR WHICH WAS MUCH MORE HAZARDOUS.
"AS REGARDS THIS SPECIFIC PROPOSAL, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS CAREFULLY IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR BROADER REVIEW TO EXTEND
SAFETY AND HEALTH LAWS TO NON-INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS,
YIU
THE ADDED.
TI
MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF $180,000 CEILING FOR SEVERANCE PAYMENT AND LONG SERVICE PAYMENT WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT A SPECIAL LAB MEETING TO BE HELD IN MID-AUGUST.
0
PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF RETAIL SALES SURVEY FOR MAY 1994
* * *
THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN MAY 1994, ESTIMATED AT $16.4 TO ACCORDING INCREASED BY 10% WHEN COMPARED WITH MAY 1993,
AND STATISTICS STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS
BILLION, THE
DEPARTMENT.
PERIOD, YEAR
AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES OVER THE TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 3% IN VOLUME TERMS IN MAY 1994 OVER A EARLIER.
WHEN COMPARED WITH APRIL, BUT BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY
RETAIL SALES BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL SHOWED A NOTABLE INCREASE IN MAY, BY 8% IN VALUE TERMS OR 6% IN VOLUME TERMS.
ON A YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON, THE INCREASE IN MAY 94 WAS MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO GROWTH IN SALES OF CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR (23% IN VALUE AND 13% IN VOLUME); OTHER FOODSTUFFS (11% IN VALUE AND 9% IN AND MOTOR VEHICLES (10% IN VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME).
VOLUME);
OF
FUELS,
MODERATE INCREASES WERE RECORDED FOR SALES IN SUPERMARKETS, 8%
IN VALUE (BUT VIRTUALLY NO CHANGE IN VOLUME); AND SALES OF OF 6% IN VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME.
SALES OF JEWELLERY AND WATCHES AND SALES IN DEPARTMENT BOTH INCREASED BY 5% IN VALUE, BUT DROPPED BY 1% AND 3%
RESPECTIVELY.
STORES
IN VOLUME
/ON THE