XN000022-1980-04-10 — Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1980

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WORK HOURS FOR YOUNG PERSONS IN INDUSTRY

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IN LINE WITH STANDARDS SET BY THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION, THE HOURS DURING WHICH YOUNG INDUSTRIAL WORKERS MAY BE EMPLOYED ARE TO BE ADJUSTED.

IN THE NEAR FUTURE YOUNG WORKERS AGED BETWEEN 14 AND 17 MAY BE EMPLOYED ONLY BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM.

UNDER THE EXISTING FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS, THE EMPLOYMENT TIME-LIMITS FOR THOSE AGED 14 AND 15 ARE FROM 6 AM TO 7 PM AND FOR THOSE AGED 16 AND 17 FROM 6 AM TO 8 PM.

DURING THESE PERIODS A YOUNG PERSON IS ALLOWED TO WORK FOR A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT HOURS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THE ADJUSTMENT WAS PROVIDED FOR IN THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS 1980 PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE LAST WEEK.

THE REGULATIONS WERE MADE BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL FOLLOWING A LEGISLATIVE EXERCISE TO TRANSFER THE PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS FROM THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. THEY WILL COME INTO OPERATION IN ABOUT TWO TO THREE MONTHS' TIME ON A DATE TO BE NOTIFIED IN THE GAZETTE.

THE REGULATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, CONTAINED PROVISIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN PART II OF THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS, AND THE ADJUSTMENT OF PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT WAS THE ONLY MAIN CHANGE IN THE NEW REGULATIONS TO THOSE IN FORCE.

ALL PERMISSIONS UNDER AND EXEMPTIONS FROM THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS GRANTED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR WOULD REMAIN VALID UNTIL THEY WERE CANCELLED BY THE COMMISSIONER, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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