Friday, May 4, 1973
HIGH SETTLEMENT RATE ACHIEVED IN INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
The Labour Relations Service of the Labour Department has helped
to settle 77.3 per cent of the industrial disputes in which its help was
sought during the first quarter of this year.
Out of a total of 1,165 disputes, the service helped to settle 900.
This rate is high considering the fact that all cases brought
to the service were taken up in the first instance irrespective of the
rights and wrongs of the parties," the head of the Labour Relations
Service, Mr. T.F. Taui said today.
As a result of settlements reached, a total of $1,877,245 was
paid to 3,646 workers as arrears of wages, payment in lieu of notice under
the Employment Ordinance, or as ex-gratia severance pay.
Mr. Tsui said that most labour problems arose out of disagreement
over wage rates, changes in conditions of employment, dismissals, prolonged
lay-off, redundancies, insolvency of the employer, or simply mutual
misunderstanding.
"In settling 32 of the 37 major labour disputes which occurred
during the quarter" Mr. Tsui said, "officers of the Labour Relations Service
conducted a total of 79 joint meetings lasting an average of nearly three
hours each and made 23 visits to the sites of these disputes."
Mr. Tsui said that a large proportion of the major disputes had
arisen from demands for wage increases. "They would have deteriorated or
remained unsolved had it not been for the tremendous patience, determination
and conciliation skill of the officers of the service," he said.
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