XN000022-1976-11-10 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1976

ANOTHER PROPOSAL WAS TO PROVIDE ONE REST DAY IN EVERY SEVEN DAYS FROM JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR,

+THIS WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REST DAYS A YEAR FROM THE PRESENT 48 TO 52,+ HE SAID.

MR. PRICE ALSO PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO SEVERANCE PAY AND SICKNESS BENEFITS.

ON SEVERANCE PAY, HE PROPOSED TO INCREASE THE BASIC RATE FROM ONE THIRD OF A MONTH'S WAGES TO ONE-HALF FOR EACH YEAR OF QUALIFYING SERVICE AND TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT COUNTED AS QUALIFYING SERVICE.

THE COMMISSIONER SAID THE CURRENT SEVERANCE PAY SCHEME COULD MILITATE AGAINST LONGER-SERVING EMPLOYEES WHO SHOULD BENEFIT MORE BECAUSE REDUNDANCY TENDED TO HAVE A MORE DISRUPTIVE EFFECT ON THEM,

WITH REGARD TO SICKNESS BENEFITS HE PROPOSED THAT THE RATE OF PAYMENT FOR DAYS OF SICKNESS SHOULD BE INCREASED FROM HALF PAY TO TWO-THIRDS PAY BRINGING IT INTO LINE WITH THE INTERIM PAYMENT RATE UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE.

IN ADDITION, MR. PRICE ALSO PROPOSED TO INCREASE FROM 24 TO 36 THE NUMBER OF SICKNESS DAYS THAT COULD BE ACCUMULATED.

TWO OTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSIONER WERE THE IMPOSITION OF A VICARIOUS LIABILITY ON PRINCIPAL CONTRACTORS IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, IN ORDER TO PROTECT WAGES OF WORKERS OF DEFAULTING SUB-CONTRACTORS. THE OTHER AMENDMENT WOULD INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE BY RAISING THE WAGE LIMIT FOR NON-MANUAL WORKERS FROM $2,000 A MONTH TO, PERHAPS, $5,000 A MONTH.

MR. PRICE SAID DURING THE LAST SESSION 26 ITEMS OF LABOUR LEGISLATION WERE PASSED BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 129 SINCE 1967.

SOME OF THESE, HE SAID, WERE NOT OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE BUT ALL WERE NECESSARY AND ALL REQUIRED TIME AND EFFORT.

HE HOPED TO BRING BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL DURING THE CURRENT SESSION THREE SETS OF REGULATIONS, DEALING WITH THE PROTECTION OF EYES THE USE OF CARTRIDGE OPERATED FIXING TOOLS, AND THE USE OF ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES IN FACTORIES.

/MR. PRICE