XN000022-1977-06-01 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1977

MR. WILLIAMS SAID THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD AND THE EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS HAVE ALL SUPPORTED THE PRINCIPLE OF SEVEN DAYS' ANNUAL LEAVE WITH PAY, THOUGH THEY DIFFERED ON OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSALS.

COMMENTING ON SOME CRITICS' SUGGESTION THAT THE GOVERNMENT INSISTENCE ON A PERIOD OF LEAVE TAKEN CONSECUTIVELY AND WITHOUT PAY-IN-LIEU, WOULD BE IMPOSING ITS WISHES ON WORKERS, MR. WILLIAMS SAID: THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW IS THAT PAYMENT OF ADDITIONAL WAGES IN LIEU OF LEAVE WOULD DEFEAT THE SOCIAL OBJECTIVE OF GIVING WORKERS A PERIOD OF LEAVE SO THAT THEY MAY ENJOY A REASONABLE REST FROM THEIR WORK AND A CHANGE FROM THEIR NORMAL WORKING LIFE.+

+HOWEVER, TO AVOID RIGIDITY IN APPLICATION OF THESE NEW MEASURES, THE BILL NOW PROPOSES THAT THE SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS' ABSENCE FROM WORK MAY BE MADE UP PARTLY OF DAYS OF ANNUAL LEAVE AND PARTLY OF REST DAYS OR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS OR BOTH, SO LONG AS THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVES THE BALANCE OF HIS ANNUAL LEAVE DAYS AT SOME OTHER TIME IN THE YEAR, HE ADDED.

REFERRING TO OTHER COMMENTS AND RECENT ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE PRESS IN WHICH SOME EMPLOYERS ARGUED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF A COMPULSORY CONSECUTIVE SEVEN DAYS' HOLIDAY, AT A TIME WHEN THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF LABOUR IN SOME SECTORS OF INDUSTRY AND FUTURE PROSPECTS WERE NOT CLEARLY FAVOURABLE, WOULD DAMAGE THE ECONOMY, MR. WILLIAMS SAID: +1 THINK THIS IS TOO PESSIMISTIC A VIEW.+

HE SAID: +THERE WILL OF COURSE BE SOME CONSEQUENTIAL INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE WAGE BILL.

+ IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT, IF REPLACEMENT WORKERS ARE · ENGAGED TO FILL ALL VACANCIES CAUSED BY ANNUAL LEAVE, THE WAGE BILL WOULD INCREASE BY NOT MORE THAN 2.3 PER CENT.

+AGAINST THIS MUST BE SET THE FACT THAT MANY EMPLOYERS ALREADY GIVE ANNUAL LEAVE TO THEIR EMPLOYEES IN MORE GENEROUS TERMS THAN THOSE PROPOSED IN THIS BILL AND THAT THE BENEFITS OF A PERIOD OF REST MAY BE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE WORKERS.

+ I DO NOT THEREFORE ACCEPT THAT THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THIS MEASURE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT, FAR LESS SERIOUS. BUT I DO ASSERT THAT THESE ARE MEASURES WHICH CONFER ON OUR WORKERS A BENEFIT WHICH THEIR EFFORTS HAVE SURELY JUSTIFIED.

+ THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, AS IS SO OFTEN SAID, IS FOUNDED UPON THE EFFICIENCY, ZEAL AND ADAPTABILITY OF AN INTELLIGENT WORK FORCE, SURELY IT IS RIGHT THAT THEIR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT SHOULD BE IMPROVED SO THAT THEY MAY ENJOY SOMETHING OF THE INCREASED PROSPERITY WHICH THEY HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO HELP TO CREATE,+ MR. WILLIAMS SAID,

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