XN000022-1975-02-20 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1975.

FRINGE BENEFITS HELP KEEP WORKERS HAPPY

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FRINGE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY MANY COMPANIES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES HAD MADE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG'S GENERALLY HARMONIOUS INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE, SAID TODAY.

MR. PRICE MADE THE COMMENT AFTER VISITING THE PHILIPS HONG KONG LTD. (LIGHT FACTORY) AT KWAI CHUNG IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE $6 MILLION COMPLEX - ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED AND HIGHLY-AUTOMATED IN HONG KONG - EMPLOYS ABOUT 62 PEOPLE BUT PRODUCES 25 MILLION TORCH BULBS A YEAR, PLANS FOR A FURTHER $4 MILLION EXPANSION PROGRAMME ARE PRESENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION.

MR. PRICE VISITED THE FACTORY AS PART OF HIS REGULAR

+KEEP ING-UP-TO-DATE+ VISITS. AFTERWARDS. HE SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY SOME OF THE FRINGE BENEFITS PROVIDED FOR THE WORKERS BY THE COMPANY.

THESE INCLUDED GENEROUS HOLIDAY AND SICK LEAVE SCHEMES, MEAL AND TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES, YEAR-END BONUS AND A STAFF CLUB WITH RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.

+ WAS ALSO IMPRESSED BY THE COMPANY'S MEDICAL BENEFITS SCHEME WHICH COVERS ALL MONTHLY-PAID EMPLOYEES,+ HE SAID.

+SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THE COMPANY PAYS FOR ALL CHARGES INCURRED FOR MEDICAL CONSULATIONS, VISITS FROM MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, PRESCRIBED MEDICINES AND HOSPITALISATION OF ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE DEPENDANTS OF MALE EMPLOYEES.

MR. PRICE SAID THAT IN RECENT YEARS A GROWING NUMBER OF FIRMS IN HONG KONG HAD PROVIDED SUBSTANTIAL FRINGE BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES. *THIS IS GOOD, AND SOMETHING THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS ENCOURAGED,+ HE SAID,

+ I BELIEVE MORE EMPLOYERS ARE REALISING THAT FIRST-RATE WELFARE FACILITIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS CAN HELP TO REDUCE LABOUR TURN-OVER, FOSTER HARMONIOUS LABOUR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS AND EVENTUALLY HELP INCREASE PRODUCTION.+

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