XN000022-1977-06-08 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1977

LABOUR COMMISSIONER PRAISES FACTORIES DURING VISIT

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THE NEW COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. PETER WILLIAMS, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) TOURED TWO FACTORIES, ONE IN KOWLOON AND ANOTHER IN TSUEN WAN. AT THE START OF A SERIES OF FAMILIARISATION VISITS TO INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS.

THIS WAS MR. WILLIAMS' FIRST VISIT TO FACTORIES SINCE HE BECAME COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR,

HIS FIRST STOP WAS AMPEX FERROTEC LTD., AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER FACTORY IN TAI NAN STREET, SHAM SHUI PO RUN BY AN AMERICAN CONCERN. IT EMPLOYS ABOUT 2,000 WORKERS, INCLUDING SOME 200 HIGHLY SPECIALISED TECHNICAL STAFF.

THE COMPANY IN 1970 STARTED TRAINING TECHNICIAN APPRENTICES ALONG THE LINES OF THE SCHEME PROPOSED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

MR. WILLIAMS' SECOND STOP WAS THE CENTRAL TEXTILES (H.K.) LTD., AT SHA TSUI ROAD IN TSUEN WAN WHICH EMPLOYS ABOUT 1,500 WORKERS.

THIS COMPANY ALSO RUNS A CRAFT APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME OF THREE YEARS DURATION AND RECRUITS APPRENTICES THROUGH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY'S VISIT MR. WILLIAMS PRAISED THE TWO COMPANIES' FORWARD LOOKING POLICY IN RUNNING APPRENTICE SCHEMES AND IN PROVIDING GOOD WELFARE FACILITIES FOR THEIR STAFF

INCLUDING MEDICAL FACILITIES. AMPEX FERROTEC PROVIDES PAID ANNUAL LEAVE OF BETWEEN SIX AND 10 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE WORKERS' LENGTH OF SERVICE.

SAN PO KONG FACTORIES TO BE SUMMONED

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SUMMONSES WILL BE TAKEN OUT AGAINST NINE FACTORIES IN SAN PO KONG FOR BREACHING FIRE SERVICES REGULATIONS.

THIS FOLLOWS A RETURN VISIT TODAY BY MORE THAN 50 FIRE OFFICERS TO THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE FIRE HAZARDS.

THE VISIT WAS THE RESULT OF A SURVEY MADE IN MARCH THIS YEAR DURING WHICH THE CONDITIONS IN MOST OF THE BUILDINGS INSPECTED WERE FOUND TO BE UNSATISFACTORY.

IN TODAY'S VISIT, 319 FACTORIES IN 16 INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WERE INSPECTED. APART FROM THE SUMMONSES TO BE ISSUED SHORTLY, 24 FACTORY OWNERS WILL BE SERVED WITH FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT NOTICES REQUIRING THEM TO CLEAR THE DANGERS WITHIN A STIPULATED PERIOD.

THE OFFICERS WILL CONTINUE THEIR INSPECTIONS IN THE AREA TOMORROW.

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