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Workers affected by the closure of factories in the textiles, clothing and spinning industries are protected by provisions under the Employment Ordinance (Cap 57) governing benefits for employees who are dismissed or retrenched by their employers.
These include payment of wages, wages in lieu of notice, annual leave pay, end of year payment, severance payment and long service payment. In case of disputes over such payments, the Labour Department will provide conciliation service to assist both the employers and the employees involved to come to a settlement. Employees who are owed wages, wages in lieu of notice and severance payment by their insolvent employers may also apply for ex-gratia payment from the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund.
The Labour Department provides free employment and counselling services for all job-seekers through its network of 9 offices in the territory. It has been offering a series of employment assistance services to dismissed and retrenched workers. Also available to these workers are the Outreaching Placement Service which provides on- the-spot assistance to workers affected by major retrenchments, and the Job Matching Programme which provides unemployed workers aged 30 or above with targeted and personalised services to match them with job vacancies.
Workers affected by retrenchments may also apply to the Employees Retraining Board for enrolment in suitable retraining courses so as to equip themselves with marketable skills to re-enter the workforce.