XN000022-1977-11-09 — Page 23

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1977

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IMPROVEMENTS IN LABOUR CONDITIONS IN THE PIPELINE

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. PETER WILLIAMS TODAY GAVE A BROAD OUTLINE OF HIS PLANS TO FURTHER IMPROVE LABOUR CONDITIONS UNDER THE WORKMEN COMPENSATION ORDINANCE, THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE AND THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

AT THE RESUMED ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. WILLIAMS ALSO TOUCHED ON INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AND THE NEED TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

REFERRING TO WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION, MR. WILLIAMS SAID HE WOULD BE MAKING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE BY AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP. HE WOULD TAKE STEPS TO CONSULT INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

HE ADDED THAT THIS WOULD BE DONE AFTER THREE AMENDING BILLS - ONE INTRODUCING THE SILICOSIS SCHEME, ANOTHER TO IMPROVE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROVIDING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS AND APPLICANCES AND A THIRD TO PROVIDE OTHER IMPROVED PROCEDURES HAD BEEN

ENACTED.

APART FROM SOME AMENDMENTS TO THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE, MR. WILLIAMS SAID HE WOULD ALSO BE INTRODUCING THREE MORE SETS OF REGULATIONS TO IMPROVE SAFETY ON CONSTRUCTION SITES, IN THE SAFE HANDLING OF CARGO AND TO DEAL WITH THE SAFE USE OF ELECTRICITY IN FACTORIES.

MR. WILLIAMS SAID: +A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PREPARATORY WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND IN ALL THREE CASES WE SHALL SEEK AS WIDE CONSULTATION AS POSSIBLE.+

FINALLY, HE SAID, SOME AMENDMENTS WERE NEEDED IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

APART FROM THE NEED TO CONSIDER REMOVING THE PRESENT BAR ON THE APPLICATION OF THE ORDINANCE TO NON-MANUAL WORKERS EARNING OVER $2,000 A MONTH HE WOULD BE PROPOSING SOME AMENDMENTS CONCERNED WITH POWERS OF ENTRY AND POWERS TO MAKE REGULATIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE LATER IN THE SESSION.

THESE AMENDMENTS, MR. WILLIAMS POINTED OUT, WOULD BE REQUIRED AND PROBABLY NEEDED TO BE DEVELOPED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTROL OF CHILDREN IN NON-INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT.

HE SAID THAT CONTROL OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE NON-INDUSTRIAL SECTOR WOULD INITIALLY BE APPLIED TO CHILDREN UNDER 14, THAT IS THE 12 AND 13 YEAR OLDS, AND THEN BE EXTENDED IN ALL SECTORS TO CHILDREN UNDER 15, THAT IS THE 14 YEAR OLDS.

ON INDUSTRIAL TRAINING MR. WILLIAMS SAID THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S WORK WOULD NEED INCREASING ATTENTION AS DIVERSIFICATION OF INDUSTRY DEVELOPS.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF

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