XN000022-1980-03-27 — Page 9

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1980

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ALARMED BY THE APPARENT DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AS EVIDENCED IN THE RISING NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, HE POINTED OUT THAT NEARLY TWICE AS MANY WORKERS WERE KILLED IN HONG KONG THAN IN SINGAPORE, AND SIX TIMES AS MANY AS IN BRITAIN.

IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL LOSSES, $24 MILLION WAS PAID OUT AS WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION IN 1978 WHILE ANOTHER $120 MILLION AS

INDIRECT COSTS.

THE JOINT COMMITTEES, HE CONTINUED, SHOULD THEREFORE COMPRISE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES - BOTH ARE DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

+THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO GENERATE SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE SHOP FLOOR.

+ONLY WHEN SELF-DISCIPLINE IS ATTAINED CAN WE CONFIDENTLY EXPECT A STEADY DECLINE IN THE RATE OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.+

ON ITS PART, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH MANAGEMENT AND LABOUR ARE PROPERLY OBSERVING THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS.

+I WOULD URGE THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR TO BRING THE STAFFING IN THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE DIVISION AND THE PROSECUTIONS AND TRAINING DIVISION UP TO THE REQUIRED LEVEL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT INSPECTORS TO INSPECT FACTORIES AND CONSTRUCTION SITES REGULARLY, HE SAID.

IT SHOULD ALSO UNDERTAKE TO TRANSMIT SAFETY MEASURES TO INDUSTRIALISTS AND WORKERS THROUGH PUBLICITY.

TURNING TO IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA HE SAID IT WOULD TAKE BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SOMETIME TO ADJUST TO HONG KONG'S PACE AND WAY OF LIFE, AND WHEN DISORIENTATED AND FRUSTRATED, THEY MAY FALL PREY TO TRIAD SOCIETIES OR POLITICAL EXTREMISTS.

TO ASSIST THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE MAIN STREAM OF LOCAL COMMUNITY, DR HO SUGGESTED THAT EFFORTS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO HELP THE IMMIGRANTS TO ATTAIN ECONOMIC SELF-EFFICIENCY AND SOCIAL EDUCATION,

AS HONG KONG'S THRIVING ECONOMY ABOUNDS WITH JOB OPPORTUNITIES, HE SAID THE NEW ARRIVALS SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH VOCATIONAL, LANGUAGE AND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING.

+A CO-ORDINATED EMPLOYMENT SERVICE FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR IS NECESSARY TO MATCH JOB SEEKERS WITH VACANT POSTS.+

HE PROPOSED SOCIAL EDUCATION COULD BEST BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE VOLUNTARY SECTORS, SUBVENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS PART OF THE ADULT EDUCATION SCHEME.

+FUNDS FROM GENERAL REVENUE ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, POLICY GUIDELINES AND DIRECTION ON INTEGRATION MUST COME FROM THE GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED.

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