XN000022-1976-06-23 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1976

FLEXIBILITY FOR ONE STATUTORY HOLIDAY PROPOSED

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DR. THE HON. S.Y. CHUNG SAID TODAY HE SUPPORTED INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAYS FOR WORKERS FROM SIX TO TEN AND SUGGESTED THAT THE TIMING OF ONE OF THE FOUR ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS COULD BE FLEXIBLE FOR DIFFERENT TRADES.

SPEAKING ON THE EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1976 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR. CHUNG SAID IT WAS DESIRABLE THAT THE CHOICE OF PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAYS SHOULD BE MEANINGFUL AND USEFUL TO THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS, WHILE THE TWO ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAYS PROPOSED IN THE BILL — THE FIRST WEEKDAY IN JULY OR THE FIRST MONDAY IN AUGUST HAD LITTLE MEANING IN INDUSTRY.

+ IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FIND A COMMON MEANINGFUL HOLIDAY FOR ALL INDUSTRIAL WORKERS, WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY TO ACHIEVE FLEXIBILITY FOR DIFFERENT TRADES.

+1 THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ONE FLOATING PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAY TO BE DESIGNATED BY THE INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYERS

IN ADVANCE,+ HE SAID.

EMPLOYERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD CHOOSE THE LU PAN FESTIVAL, THOSE IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY THE JIEN HAU FESTIVAL, THOSE IN THE ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY WITH A LARGE WORKFORCE OF YOUNG GIRLS THE SEVEN SISTERS FESTIVAL WHILE MANY OF THE EMPLOYERS IN MEN-DOMINATED INDUSTRIES OPT FOR

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY.

TIO

DR. CHUNG NOTED THAT THE ADDITIONAL FOUR PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAYS SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION PROVIDED THAT THEY WERE PROPERLY CHOSEN.

HE SAID, THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE IS THE INCREASE OF WAGE BILLS BY ABOUT 1.3 PER CENT.+

DR. CHUNG SAID WHILE MOST EMPLOYERS WERE ALREADY GRANTING MORE THAN SIX HOLIDAYS A YEAR, APART FROM ONE REST DAY EVERY WEEK, NOT MOST OF THE INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYERS WERE PAYING THEIR HOURLY-RATED, DAILY-RATED OR PIECE-RATED EMPLOYEES FOR MORE THAN THE PRESENT SIX PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAYS.

THE NUMBER OF PAID HOLIDAYS FOR THESE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS IN HONG KONG WAS LESS THAN THAT IN SOME COUNTRIES OF THIS REGION, HE ADDED.

IN REPLY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. NEIL HENDERSON SAID HE HAD NO REAL OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE TO THE CONCEPT OF A FLOATING HOLIDAY IF THE GENERAL FEELING WAS THAT IT WOULD BE MORE USEFUL TO HAVE A HOLIDAY THAT WAS MEANINGFUL TO PARTICULAR GROUPS AND INDUSTRIES RATHER THAN TO ESCAPE THE SUMMER HUMIDITY, WHICH WAS HIS ORIGINAL INTENTION.

/+MY PROBLEEM