- 6.
"Cross border issues arising from the proposed Western Corridor Railway may be discussed by the newly established Sino-British Co-ordinating Committee on Major Cross-Border Infrastructure between Hong Kong and the Mainland," Mr Barma said.
End/Wednesday, December 14, 1994
Goverment response to withdrawal of Employment (Amendment) Bill
The Government regretted that it was necessary to withdraw the Employment (Amendment) Bill from the Legislative Council, a Government spokesman said today (Wednesday).
The spokesman said that a very important point of principle was at stake.
"The Bill provides for substantial improvements in the provision of severance and long service payments for employees. The package of improvements was based on the conscious decision of the Labour Advisory Board (LAB)," the spokesman said. LAB is the Government's main advisory body on labour issues. It is a body where employees and employers elect their own representatives to deliberate on issues concerning labour policy and legislative proposals.
"The LAB has an excellent record and has made significant improvements to labour welfare at a pace acceptable to both employees and employers. Every set of LAB's proposals represents the outcome of patient, understanding and careful deliberations. We must not seek to overturn lightly or abruptly LAB's proposals without consultation.
"To do so would put our labour relations at risk and would risk damaging the LAB's credibility as a successful forum where employee and employer representatives can deliberate their concerns in an understanding and constructive manner," the spokesman said.