XN000022-1973-07-20 — Page 9

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Friday, July 20, 1973

LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE HELPS SEFTLE 851 DISPUTES

The Labour Relations Service of the Labour Department helped

settle 851 disputes during the second quarter of this year a Buccess rate

of 73.2 per cent.

During the three-month period, a total of 1,162 disputes were

placed before the service, ranging from minor individual grievances to

disputes involving large groups of workers.

"The success rate is high, considering that all cases brought to

the service are accepted irrespective of the claims involved and the rights

and wrongs of the parties," the head of the Labour Relations Service,

Mr. T.F. Teui, said today.

Mr. Tsui said that as a result of settlements reached, $1,473,737

were paid to 3,150 workers as arrears of wages, payment in lieu of notice

under the Employment Ordinance, or as ex-gratia severance payments,

As usual, he said, most labour problems arose out of disagreements

over wage rates, changes in conditions of employment, dismissal, prolonged

lay off, redundancy, insolvency of the employer, or simply mutual misunderstanding.

"In settling 26 of the 35 major labour disputes which began during

the quarter, officers of the Labour Relations Service conducted a total of

72 joint meetinga lasting an average of nearly three hours each, and wade

27 visits to the sites of the disputes," Mr. Tsui said.

During this quarter the first full quarter of operation of the

Labour Tribunal the service referred 221 cases involving 536 workers to the

Tribunal.

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