XN000022-1980-03-16 — Page 6

SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 1980

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PLASTICS INDUSTRY SHOULD TRAIN MORE WORKERS

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THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY SHOULD MAKE GREATER EFFORTS IN TRAINING THE SKILLED MANPOWER IT NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE.

THIS RECOMMENDATION IS MADE BY THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL IN ITS REPORT ON THE FIFTH MANPOWER SURVEY OF THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY.

COPIES OF THE REPORT, IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, WILL BE ON SALE FROM TOMORROW (MONDAY) AT $8 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE.

ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY WHICH WAS CONDUCTED IN JULY 1979, THE INDUSTRY'S TOTAL MANPOWER HAD GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY TO 92 794, AN INCREASE OF SOME 26 000 WORKERS OVER THE PREVIOUS SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1977.

THE TRAINING BOARD ANTICIPATES THAT THE INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW DESPITE MANY UNFAVOURABLE FACTORS, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL. THESE FACTORS INCLUDE UNSTABLE SUPPLY AND COST OF PLASTICS RAW MATERIALS, HIGH BANK INTEREST RATES, DIMINISHING VALUE OF THE HONG KONG DOLLAR, SPIRALLING WAGES AND LAND COSTS, SLOWING DOWN OF MAJOR WESTERN ECONOMIES AND EMERGENCE OF CHINA AS A MANUFACTURING CENTRE.

THE BOARD STRONGLY URGES EMPLOYERS NOT ONLY TO IMPROVE THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN THEIR FACTORIES SO AS TO ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO JOIN THE INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE TRAINING FACILITIES AVAILABLE AT TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS BY SPONSORING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO ATTEND PART-TIME DAY RELEASE COURSES.

THE REPORT SETS OUT, BESIDES STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THE EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRY, PROJECTED MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS AT THE TECHNOLOGIST, TECHNICIAN AND CRAFTSMAN LEVELS FOR THE PERIOD 1982 TO 1987.

SENIOR TRANSPORT INSPECTOR RETIRES

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A SENIOR TRANSPORT INSPECTOR WHO SERVED UNDER FOUR COMMISSIONERS FOR TRANSPORT IS RETIRING AFTER WORKING MORE THAN 11 YEARS WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

THE OFFICER, MR ANDREW LEUNG HING-HUNG, WAS A FIGHTER PILOT DURING THE WAR, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, AND A RESERVE COMMODITIES

INSPECTOR BEFORE HE JOINED THE DEPARTMENT AS A TRANSPORT INSPECTOR. HE WAS PROMOTED TO SENIOR TRANSPORT INSPECTOR IN MARCH 1979.

MR LEUNG RECALLED THAT WHEN HE FIRST JOINED, THE DEPARTMENT WAS LOCATED IN RUMSEY STREET WITH A TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT OF LESS THAN 300.

/+MY OWN