XN000022-1974-11-05 — Page 5

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1974

HONG KONG WORKERS STILL IN DEMAND OVERSEAS

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THERE IS STILL A DEMAND IN OVERSEAS COUNTRIES FOR HONG KONG WORKERS DESPITE A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF WORKERS GOING ABROAD

IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS ISSUED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, 798 WORKERS WENT ABROAD DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH 706 IN 1972-73, 1,057 IN 1971-72 AND 2,134 IN 1970-71.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE MORE THAN 4,000 HONG KONG WORKERS EMPLOYED OVERSEAS OTHER THAN THE UNITED KINGDOM. A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM ARE EMPLOYED AS BAKERS, COOKS, BLACKSMITHS, CARPENTERS, LAUNDERS AND MECHANICS IN NAURU, OCEAN ISLAND, BRUNE!, SABAH, BRITISH SOLOMAN ISLAND, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, WEST GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS.

OF THESE, ABOUT 1.360 ARE UNDER NEW CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO WITH THEIR EMPLOYERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACTS FOR OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. THE REMAINING WORKERS ARE UNDER RE-ENGAGEMENT CONTRACTS.

- A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID THAT SINCE THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, +OVER 16,000 MANUAL WORKERS HAVE TAKEN UP EMPLOYMENT OVERSEAS. ABOUT HALF OF THEM HAVE BEEN RE-ENGAGED.+

HE ADDED, HOWEVER: +UNLESS WAGES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRATIVE, IT IS NOT EASY TO RECRUIT HONG KONG WORKERS FOR EMPLOYMENT ABROAD.+

THE OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, WHICH CAME INTO FORCE IN 1965, AIMS TO PROTECT LOCAL WORKERS TAKING UP EMPLOYMENT OVERSEAS. MANUAL WORKERS PROCEEDING OVERSEAS FOR EMPLOYMENT ARE URGED TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THEIR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS IN

ACCORDANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE.

THE PURPOSE OF A CONTRACT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, WAS TO SAFEGUARD THE WORKERS' INTERESTS AND WELL-BEING.

THE CONTRACT MUST BE ATTESTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR, PRIOR TO THE WORKERS' DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG.

THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED HOWEVER THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAD THE POWER TO REFUSE TO ATTEST A CONTRACT IF THE TERMS IN IT WERE UNFAIR TO THE EMPLOYEE.

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