XN000022-1978-04-25 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1978

NEW LABOUR COMMISSIONER OUTLINES PLANS FOR LABOUR AFFAIRS

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IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION SCHEME, GREATER EMPHASIS ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND THE SETTING UP OF TRAINING BOARDS FOR THE COMMERCE AND SERVICES SECTOR WERE OUTLINED BY THE NEW COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, WHEN HE GAVE A LUNCHEON TALK TO THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES IN KOWLOON TODAY (TUESDAY).

IN HIS FIRST PUBLIC ADDRESS SINCE BECOMING COMMISSIONER MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT MAIN THRUSTS WOULD BE MADE IN THE THREE AREAS OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, AND LABOUR DEPARTMENT STAFF WOULD BE CONSOLIDATED TO COPE ADEQUATELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S COMMITMENTS.

ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION SCHEME, THE COMMISSIONER SAID HE HOPED TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION IN MAY TO ENABLE SILICOSIS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SCHEME.

HE SAID: +OF MORE GENERAL INTEREST, IS THE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL WORKING PARTY FOR CONSIDERING THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE IN WIDE TERMS.

+THEY ARE STUDYING IN PARTICULAR THE BASIS OF COMPENSATION, AS TO WHETHER IT SHOULD BE RELATED TO PERCENTAGE DISABILITY, AS NOW, OR TO COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF OCCUPATIONAL EARNING CAPACITY, MR. HENDERSON SAID.

HE ADDED: +A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IF I LOSE A FINGER IT WOULD HAVE VIRTUALLY NO EFFECT ON MY EARNING CAPACITY, BUT IF A CONCERT PIANIST LOSES HIS IT WOULD MEAN A LOSS OF HIS LIVELIHOOD. YET UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF PERCENTAGE DISABILITY WE WOULD BOTH BE COMPENSATED ON THE SAME BASIS FOR LOSS OF ONE FINGER. +

IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, THE COMMISSJONER CALLED FOR INCREASED AWARENESS ON THE PART OF WORKERS, MANAGEMENT AND THE PUBLIC AS A WHOLE.

HE SAID: +THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF CAN DO IN THIS AREA. WE HAVE NOW LARGELY ERECTED OUR PROTECTIVE FENCE OF LEGISLATION AND WE ARE PLANNING TO INCREASE THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE TO 200 OR SO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SO THAT ADEQUATE COVERAGE OF ADVICE CAN BE GIVEN TO EMPLOYERS AND PROSECUTIONS TAKEN WHEN NECESSARY.

+ BUT IN THE LAST ANALYSIS, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY IS AN EVERYDAY THING THE DAILY CARELESSNESS, THE LACK OF SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS, THE INDISCIPLINE OF THE WORK-PLACE. INSPECTION CAN ONLY AIM AT IT IMPROVING STANDARDS AND CHECKING THE PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS. CANNOT CONSTANTLY BE PRESENT TO OBSERVE THE FAILINGS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND THE CASUAL WORK METHOD. THAT CAN ONLY BE STIMULATED BY MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS THEMSELVES IN THE WORK-PLACE.+

MR. HENDERSON