XN000022-1979-06-23 — Page 5

SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1979

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OVER 247,000 WORKERS GIVEN ANNUAL LEAVE DURING LAST LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD

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A TOTAL OF 247,652 WORKERS 31.3 PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WERE GIVEN ALL OR PART OF THE IR PAID ANNUAL LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS DURING THE LAST LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD.

THE LEAVE WAS GIVEN ON TOP OF THE THREE LUNAR NEW YEAR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS, REST DAYS AND NO PAY LEAVE DAYS IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE WORKERS TO HAVE A LONGER BREAK FROM WORK DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON.

THIS IS THE FINDING OF SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT BETWEEN LAST MARCH AND APRIL ON 858 MANUFACTUR ING ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYING A TOTAL OF 292,561 WORKERS MAINLY IN THE FIELDS OF TEXTILES, TOYS, PLASTICS, GARMENTS, ELECTRONICS AND METALWARE. THESE WORKERS REPRESENTED 40 PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

EACH OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS COVERED BY THE SURVEY EMPLOYED BETWEEN 100 TO MORE THAN 2,000 WORKERS, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THEM

738 OR 86 PER CENT - EÁCH EMPLOYING BETWEEN 100 AND 499 WORKERS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THAT THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHETHER LARGE INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS HAD MADE USE OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD TO GRANT THE IR EMPLOYEES ANNUAL LEAVE.

ACCORDING TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AN EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED TO SEVEN DAYS ANNUAL LEAVE WITH PAY AFTER SERVING 12 MONTHS UNDER A CONTINUOUS CONTRACT WITH THE SAME EMPLOYER.

THE LEAVE SHOULD BE GRANTED ON SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR, IF THE EMPLOYEE SO REQUESTS, ON FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS, AND THE REMAINING DAYS OF ANNUAL LEAVE ENTITLEMENT EITHER CONSECUTIVELY OR SEPARATELY AT SOME OTHER TIME DURING THE YEAR.

OF THE 858 ESTABLISHMENTS SURVEYED, 741 GAVE THEIR EMPLOYEES — TOTALLING 247,652 — ANNUAL LEAVE RANGING FROM ONE TO SEVEN DAYS DURING THE NEW YEAR PERIOD. A TOTAL OF 373 ESTABLISHMENTS (43.5 PER CENT) GAVE FOUR DAYS WHILE 205 (23.9 PER CENT) GAVE SEVEN DAYS.

THE OTHER 117 ESTABLISHMENTS HAD NOT GRANTED ANY ANNUAL LEAVE TO THE IR 44,909 EMPLOYEES DURING THAT PERIOD, BUT HAD INDICATED THAT THE LEAVE WOULD BE GRANTED AT SOME OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.

THE WORKERS GIVEN ANNUAL LEAVE REPRESENT 85 PER CENT OF THE SURVEYED WORKFORCE. A TOTAL OF 142,776 (48.8 PER CENT) OF THEM ENJOYED FOUR DAYS AND 63,948 (21.36 PER CENT) SEVEN DAYS.

THOSE GIVEN THREE, FIVE AND SIX DAYS TOTALLED 15,422, 15,405 AND 5,780 RESPECTIVELY.

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