XN000022-1974-03-14 — Page 27

26

Thursday, March 14, 1974

HIGHER COMPENSATION PAYMENTS FOR WORKERS PROPOSED

Two bills aimed at extending statutory protection to a greater number of Hong Kong employees and increasing workers' compensation

payments were introduced in Legislative Council today.

The bills are the Employment (Amendment) Bill 1974 and the

Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Bill 1974.

They propose to increase from $1,500 to $2,000 the monthly

income limit on non-manual employees covered by the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance and the Employment Ordinance.

In moving the two bills, the Secretary for Social Services,

the Hon. Li Fook-kow said that this one-third increase in the wage ceiling

would mean that a large number of non-manual workers whose wages had

grown past the $1,500-a-month mark set in 1968 would again be brought

under the protection of the two ordinances. (All manual workers are

covered, regardless of income).

"Both wages and the cost of living have increased since 1968,"

said Mr. Li. "The nominal wage index for industrial workers rose by 89 per cent from 134 in September 1968 to 253 in September 1973.

There is no index reflecting wage movements for non-manual workers,

But on the assumption that their wages have been adjusted to reflect

the rise in the cost of living, it would seem reasonable to assume an

increase equivalent to the change in the Consumer Price Index over the

same period.

/"Taking the