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Conciliation services for retrenched workers
The Labour Department is providing conciliation services following the retrenchment of 239 workers imported from China under the Special Labour Importation Scheme for the Airport Core Programme projects.
The Chief Labour Officer (Labour Relations) is now holding a tripartite meeting with representatives of the workers, the principal contractor and the sub- contractor at the Labour Department Headquarters.
A government spokesman said he understood that in this case, the workers were made redundant because the works contract of the subcontractor, Success, had been terminated by BCJ Joint Venture, the principal contractor.
"Under the Employment Ordinance, employers may terminate the employment contract of their employees by giving the required notice or payment in lieu of notice, and all sums due to an employee such as wages for work done, overtime pay, statutory holiday pay, pro-rata annual leave pay and where appropriate, travel costs etc."
The spokesman said the Labour Department's role in such cases was to ensure that the employer had acted in accordance with the law and that employees were given the benefits due to them under the law and under their employment contracts.
"If any of these workers have reasons to believe that they have not been given all the entitled benefits, they may lodge a claim with the Labour Department," he said.
He pointed out that under the normal rules of the Labour Importation Scheme, imported workers made redundant or dismissed would not be allowed to take up further employment in Hong Kong because they were approved to take up work for specific jobs.
"This is to protect the local workforce," the spokesman said.
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