XN000022-1976-10-27 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1976

CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND FOR MANUAL WORKERS ADVOCATED

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DR. THE HON. CHUNG SZE-YUEN TODAY REPEATED HIS CALL FOR THE SETTING UP OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND FOR MANUAL WORKERS.

OPENING THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON A MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS ON OCTOBER 6, HE SAID THAT THE KIND OF CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND HE HAD IN MIND WAS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND ADMINISTERED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR ITS AGENCY.

+AN EMPLOYEE IS FREE TO CHANGE HIS EMPLOYER WITHIN HONG KONG WITHOUT ANY PENALTY, IT SHOULD BE A COMPULSORY CONTRIBUTORY SCHEME BUT ONLY THE EMPLOYERS AND NOT THE EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE.+

DR. CHUNG BELIEVED THAT THIS KIND OF FUND WOULD NOT ONLY HELP PROVIDE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR THE LOWER INCOME WORKERS BUT WOULD ALSO HELP PROMOTE THE INVOLVEMENT OF A GREATER MASS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD THEN HAVE A STAKE IN HONG KONG AND A SENSE OF BELONGING.

HE RECALLED THAT THE CALL WAS MADE TWO YEARS AGO. AT THAT TIME, HE ALSO DREW THE ATTENTION OF GOVERNMENT TO THE LACK OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR INDUSTRIAL WORKERS IN HONG KONG.

DR. CHUNG VOICED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME SO AS TO PROVIDE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR ABLE-BODIED PERSONS BETWEEN 15 AND 55 YEARS.

HE FELT SURE THAT THE WORKING POPULATION AND PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE SHOP FLOOR WOULD WELCOME THE PROPOSAL.

URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO RECONSIDER THE PROPOSAL, DR. CHUNG POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S COMPETITORS IN THIS REGION, BOTH KOREA AND TAIWAN HAD STATUTORY RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR WORKERS AND BOTH SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA HAD CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUNDS FOR WAGE EARNERS.

ON THE ROLE OF UMELCO, DR. CHUNG SAID THAT THE AVERAGE OF SUCCESSFUL CASES HANDLED OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS WAS AROUND 26 PER CENT.

+THIS FIGURE COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THAT OF OMBUDSMANLIKE SYSTEMS ELSEWHERE OF WHICH THE SUCCESSFUL RATE, AS I UNDERSTAND RANGES BETWEEN 20 TO 25 PER CENT, HE SAID.

DR. CHUNG POINTED OUT THAT WHEN THE UMELCO COMPLAINTS SYSTEM CAME INTO OPERATION IN 1970-71, THE NUMBER OF CASES HANDLED IN THAT YEAR TOTALLED 843.

IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR, HE SAID, THE CASE LOAD HAD GROWN MORE THAN FOUR TIMES TO 3,304.

/HE ATTRIBUTED