XN000022-1974-11-13 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974

CHILD LABOUR

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE, PREDICTED TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED EDUCATION PLANS WOULD EVENTUALLY WIPE OUT ALL CHILD LABOUR IN HONG KONG.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HE ASSURED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE ITS VIGOROUS DRIVE TO ENFORCE THE LAW AGAINST EMPLOYMENT IN INDUSTRY OF CHILDREN UNDER 14.

.MR. PRICE REFUTED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS UNFAIR CRITICISM ON CHILD LABOUR - CRITICISM WHICH, HE SAID, WAS USUALLY BASED ON INACCURATE INFORMATION OR DISTORTION OF THE FACTS.

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HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE LAST DECEMBER, THREE SPECIAL ANTI- CHILD LABOUR CAMPAIGNS HAD COVERED MORE THAN 14,000 FACTORIES ABOUT HALF THE NUMBER IN HONG KONG BUT HAD REVEALED ONLY 131 CASES INVOLVING 161 CHILDREN.

C

THESE CAMPAIGNS HAD SO FAR RESULTED IN 104 CONVICTIONS SOME CASES WERE PENDING - WITH FINES OF MORE THAN $31,000.

MR. PRICE ADDED: +TWO OF THESE CAMPAIGNS WERE CONDUCTED IN TERM TIME AND IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT BOTH DISCOVERED ONLY HALF THE NUMBER OF CASES BROUGHT TO LIGHT DURING THE OTHER CAMPAIGN, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.+

SAID 14 SUCH CAMPAIGNS HAD BEEN MOUNTED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, TO BACK UP REGULAR DAILY AND NIGHTLY VISITS BY LABOUR INSPECTORS.

+VIGILANCE WILL NOT BE RELAXED, BUT THESE CAMPAIGNS ARE NOW PRODUCING ENCOURAGINGLY LOW RESULTS IN TERMS OF CHILDREN EMPLOYED ILLEGALLY, + HE SAID.

+HERE I SHOULD REPEAT THAT IT HAS BEEN, AND WILL REMAIN, THE POLICY OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO PROSECUTE EVERY CASE DISCOVERED OF, ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN.+

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MR. PRICE SAID THE DEPARTMENT'S TASK WOULD BE MADE EASIER WHEN ALL CHILDREN UNDER 14 HAD BEEN ISSUED WITH THE NEW JUVENILE

IDENTITY CARDS.

AND, HE ADDED, THE PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION WERE MOST APPROPRIATE IN THE CONTEXT OF CHILD LABOUR.

+ULTIMATELY THEY WILL BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE IN LEADING TO THE PROGRESSIVE CONTROL OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF ALL CHILDREN UNDER 14 AND TO ITS EVENTUAL ERADICATION FROM ALL SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY,+ HE SAID.

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