XN000022-1972-11-01 — Page 23

23

Wednesday, November 1, 1972

CONCERN FOR REDUNDANT WORKERS

Dr. the Hon. S.Y. Chung today rated high on the list" of social

security the issue of redundancy pay for workers, and he urged the Government

to give higher priority to legislation on redundancy compensation.

This is one aspect of labour rights which Hong Kong has so far not

attempted seriously to legislate, he said.

Dr. Chung was speaking in the Legislative Council in support of a

motion thanking the Governor's address given at the recent opening of the

Council's new session. He also spoke on housing, the economy and technical

education.

He said it is only fair to compensate a worker who has worked for an

employer for several years and who is fired through no fault of his own.

At present, he said, there is no legislation specifying the amount

of redundancy pay which is fair to both employers and employees. The present

liability of the employer is to give only one month's notice or one month's

pay in lieu of notice. This often leads to confrontation.

"Since there is in Hong Kong no effective union organisation

genuinely working for the general good of labour, it is a prime responsibility

of Government and this Council to see that labour rights and entitlement would

not be infringed and that labour's weakness would not be exploited by some

unscrupulous employers," Dr. Chung said.

Turning to housing, he described it as "one of the most pressing

problems in Hong Kong" and hailed the 10-year housing plan announced by the

Governor.

/He made