XN000022-1978-04-25 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1978

MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT, TO EXAMINE WAYS AND MEANS OF ACHIEVING THIS MORE AT THE SHOP-FLOOR LEVEL, AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD HAD BEEN FORMED, IT WOULD PERHAPS FOSTER A VOLUNTARY SAFETY MOVEMENT OR WORK TOWARDS AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL WHICH WOULD RAISE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE SAFETY AWARENESS OF WORKERS.

ON TRAINING FOR COMMERCE AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES, MR. HENDERSON HOPED THAT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATIONS, AN INITIAL SEVEN TRAINING BOARDS WOULD SOON BE SET UP. THEY WOULD COVER BANKING INSURANCE JOURNALISM HOTELS, CATERING AND TOURISM ACCOUNTANCY AND ALLIED FIELDS WHOLESALE/ RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES- AND MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISORY TRAINING.

HE SAID THAT DIVERSIFICATION HAD BROUGHT ABOUT A SHIFT OF EMPLOYMENT INTO THE TERTIARY OR SERVICE INDUSTRIES, AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT MUST TURN ITS ATTENTION INCREASINGLY TO THIS SECTOR.

+MUCH TRAINING OF COURSE ALREADY GOES ON IN THIS SECTOR,+ HE SAID, BUT MUCH OF IT IS RATHER HAPHAZARD AND UNCOORDINATED. BELOW THE PROFESSIONAL LEVELS, TOO, IN THE TERTIARY SECTOR THERE IS A VAST INFRASTRUCTURE OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS WHERE PERFORMANCE COULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED BY MORE SYSTEMATIC TRAINING.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD BE CLOSELY EXAMINING EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS IN THE TERTIARY SECTOR, WHICH IS LESS STATUTORILY CONTROLLED THAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

+ IN THIS FIELD, HE SAID, +OUR INTENTION TO REGULATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN IN THE NON-INDUSTRIAL SECTOR HAS ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED AND IS TARGETED TO TAKE EFFECT AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR.+

UNOFFICIALS TO COMMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY GREEN PAPER AT LEGCO

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SIX UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL COMMENT ON THE SOCIAL SECURITY DEVELOPMENT GREEN PAPER TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) WHEN THE COUNCIL MEETS.

THE REV. THE HON. PATRICK MCGOVERN WILL MOVE AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER'S MOTION THAT THIS COUNCIL TAKES NOTE OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON SOCIAL SECURITY DEVELOPMENT,+

DURING QUESTION TIME SENIOR UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, THE HON. SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, WILL ASK WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO BUILD AN AIRPORT ON LANTAU ISLAND OR ELSEWHERE TO REPLACE THE PRESENT ONE AT KAI TAK.

THE QUESTION IS ONE OF THE 20 TC BE RAISED BY THE UNOFFICIALS ON VARIOUS ISSUES OF PUBLIC INTEREST.

/THE HON. WONG LAM