XN000022-1976-11-10 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1976

PLANS TO IMPROVE LABOUR STANDARDS AND CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT ******

THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON, IAN PRICE, TODAY GAVE DETAILS OF PLANS TO IMPROVE LABOUR STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE WELCOMED THE EXPANSION OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD AS BOTH THE WORKERS' AND EMPLOYERS' REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE INCREASED FROM FOUR TO SIX.

HE SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE EXPANDED BOARD'S ASSISTANCE AND COUNSEL FROM JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR.

MR. PRICE SAID THIS YEAR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S MAIN EFFORT AGAIN MUST BE IN THE AREA OF LABOUR LEGISLATION.

ON THE SOCIAL SIDE OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME MR. PRICE SAID THIS WOULD MAINLY TAKE THE FORM OF A SERIES OF AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE WHICH HE POINTED OUT WAS DELIBERATELY DRAWN UP TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE EXPANSION.

THE FOREMOST IMPROVEMENT WAS THAT ALL EMPLOYEES SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO SEVEN DAYS CONSECUTIVE PAID LEAVE EACH YEAR IN ADDITION TO THE TEN INDIVIDUAL STATUTORY PAID HOLIDAYS.

+THIS WILL REPRESENT A CONSIDERABLE SOCIAL EVOLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LIFE AND HABITS OF THE POPULATION WILL BE CONSIDERABLE, SAID MR. PRICE.

REFERRING TO THOSE WHO WONDERED WHAT WORKERS WOULD DO WITH ALL THE ENFORCED LEISURE, MR. PRICE SAID: +1 ASK THEM TO CAST THEIR MINDS BACK TO 1970, THE TIME OF A PREVIOUS SOCIAL CHANGE ARISING FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF FOUR REST DAYS A MONTH.

+SIMILAR DOUBTS WERE EXPRESSED THEN, THE RESOUND ING ANSWERS TO THESE DOUBTS ARE TO BE FOUND ON ANY SUNDAY OR PUBLIC HOLIDAY WHEN BEACHES, HILLS, SPORTS FIELDS, TRAINS, FERRIES, RESTAURANTS, AND ALL PLACES OF AMENITY, RECREATION AND ENTERTAINMENT ARE CROWDED.+

HE SAID: +GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THE SOCIAL ADVANTAGES OF PAID ANNUAL LEAVE OUTWEIGH THE SLIGHT RISK OF CREATING DIFFICULTIES FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF SMALLER EMPLOYERS.+

/ANOTHER