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Workmen compensation ordered by Labour Tribunal
Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
It is learnt that recently many employers who were ordered by the Labour Tribunal to pay compensation to their employees have failed to pay the amounts of compensation to the employees concerned. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:
Reply:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Mr President,
of the total number of cases in the past three years involving employers defaulting on payment of compensation to their employees as ordered by the Labour Tribunal;
whether, in view of the execution fee amounting to some $4,000 payable by an employee when applying to the District Court to sequestrate the office or factory of the defaulting employer, the Government will consider reducing such fee in order to lessen the burden on the employee concerned in recovering the arrears of compensation from his employer; and
whether it will consider formulating measures to enable employees to obtain arrears of compensation from their employers within a stipulated period of time?
Under Section 38 of the Labour Tribunal Ordinance, a final award of the Labour Tribunal (which includes the award of compensation to the employee by the employer) may be registered in the District Court, and will become for all purposes a judgement of the District Court which may be enforced accordingly, notwithstanding that the amount of such award is beyond the jurisdiction of the District Court.
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