CO129-565-18 Factories and Workshops Ordinance 1937 1-10-1937 - 4-10-1937 — Page 15

Objects and Reasons.

1. The object of this Bill is to transfer the office of Protector of Labour from the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to the Chairman of the Urban Council and to vest the control of factories, workshops and the employment of women, young persons and children in certain industries in the Urban Council.

2. Upon the enactment of the Factories and Workshops Ordinance, 1932, (No. 27 of 1932), it was considered desirable that the powers of the Protector of Labour under that Ordinance should be exercised by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs with the assistance of qualified Inspectors of Labour until the persons and industries affected should become accustomed to a measure of regulation.

3. With the passage of years the reasons for this arrangement have disappeared, and it is now proposed to effect the transfer above-mentioned.

4. This Bill is based upon the provisions of Ordinance No. 27 of 1932, which, with the Factories and Workshops Amendment Ordinance, 1936, (No. 30 of 1936), it repeals.

5. In this Bill, clause 5 of which gives the necessary powers of regulation to the Urban Council, and clause 4 a power of inspection to a select committee of that Council, the opportunity has been taken to effect certain amendments which experience has shown to be necessary and to revise and consolidate, in the form of by-laws, the regulations made under Ordinance No. 27 of 1932 and set out in the Schedule to that Ordinance and Government Notifications Nos. 660 of 1933 and 784 of 1936, published in the Government Gazette of 6th October, 1933 and 20th September, 1936, respectively.

6. By fixing 14 years as the minimum age for employment in industrial undertakings (Clause 2 (1) of the Bill and by-law 5 in the Schedule thereto) and increasing the period during which women and young persons may not be employed during the night in ordinary circum- stances to 11 hours (by-law 8 in the Schedule), effect is given. more fully to the International Labour Conventions fixing the minimum age for admission of children to industrial employment and concerning the night work of women and young persons employed in industry which were adopted at Washington on 28th November, 1919, and communicated by the Secretary of State in his circular despatch of 13th August, 1921. The Conventions have in actual practice been adhered to by employers of labour in the Colony for some time, with the possible exception of the provisions regarding night work.

7. A Table of Correspondence is attached showing the variations between this Bill and the provisions of the Factories and Workshops Ordinance, 1932.

August, 1937.

J. A. FRASER,

Attorney General.

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