XN000022-1977-06-15 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1977

HE EXHORTED WORKERS ON THEIR PART TO TAKE A PARALLEL STEP FORWARD AND OVERCOME THEIR FEARS AND OUTMODED ATTITUDES BY DETERMINING TO HELP THEMSELVES BY MAKING SURE THE NEW LAW IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED.

HE HOPED THAT A SIDE EFFECT WOULD BE MORE CONSULTATION BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, ALTHOUGH, HE SAID, HIS CHIEF FEAR WAS THAT THERE WAS A WEAKNESS IN THE BILL ON THIS ONE POINT.

HE NOTED THAT IN HIS EFFORTS TO FIND OUT WHAT WORKERS REALLY WANTED IN THE LINE OF PAID LEAVE, ONE DESIRE EMERGED VERY CLEARLY: +BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS WANT EQUALITY WITH WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS. THEY WANT ALL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS TO BE INDUSTRIAL OR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS ALSO.+

A LOT OF THE MONEY SPENT ON PRE-VOCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WOULD BE WASTED, +UNLESS WORKING CONDITIONS IN INDUSTRY AND THE SOCIAL STATUS OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS ARE RAISED TO A LEVEL AT LEAST AS HIGH AS THAT OF WHITE COLLAR WORKERS,+ REV. MCGOVERN SAID.

HE URGED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD OF SOME OF THE MEASURES IN THE BILL BE USED TO WATCH VERY CAREFULLY AND GUARD AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT TO ABUSE ITS FLEXIBILITY.

THE HON. WONG LAM SPOKE UP FOR HAVING THE ANNUAL LEAVE SPLIT INTO ONE PART OF FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS AND ANOTHER PART TO BE TAKEN IN SEPARATE PERIODS, WITH THE EMPLOYEE HAVING THE RIGHT, IF HE WANTS, TO ASK FOR AN UNBROKEN SEVEN DAYS LEAVE WITHOUT GIVING REASONS.

+THIS WOULD LESSEN THE ADVERSE EFFECT THIS TYPE OF LONG LEAVE WOULD HAVE ON SMALL MANUFACTURERS, AND WOULD ALSO HELP TO EASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND THE PROBLEM OF CHOOSING A PLACE TO SPEND ONE'S LEAVE, HE SAID.

HE EXPLAINED THAT TO THE SMALLER MANUFACTURERS, THE SEVEN DAYS CONSECUTIVE LEAVE WOULD NOT SIMPLY BE A TWO PER CENT INCREASE IN THE ANNUAL WAGE BILL, BECAUSE THE WHOLE PRODUCTION LINE MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THE ABSENCE OF THE USUALLY SMALL NUMBER OF SKILLED WORKERS.

HE DID NOT AGREE WITH THE SUGGESTION FOR PAY IN LIEU OF LEAVE, WHICH +APART FROM BEING AT VARIANCE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THIS LEGISLATION, COULD EASILY LEAD TO VARIOUS TYPES OF MALPRACTICES.+

HE PROPOSED THAT THE LEGISLATION SHOULD BE REVIEWED AFTER IMPLEMENTATION FOR TWO YEARS TO DECIDE WHETHER IT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS MANDATORY.

THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THERE HAD TO BE RIGIDITY IN THE LEGISLATION AS A SAFEGUARD FOR THE WORKERS AGAINST EXPLOITATION.

/+TO ALLOW