XN000022-1980-07-09 — Page 18

16

-

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1980

COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES OR DEATH TO INCREASE

******

PROPOSED INCREASES IN COMPENSATION FOR THOSE INJURED AT WORK AND PAYMENTS TO THE DEPENDANTS OF THOSE KILLED WILL GO EVEN HIGHER UNDER AMENDMENTS TO THE RECENTLY TABLED WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1980.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON J. N. HENDERSON, SAID HE PROPOSED TO RAISE THE CEILINGS FOR DEATH AND PERMANENT TOTAL INCAPACITY TO $168 000 AND $192 000 RESPECTIVELY. PREVIOUS PROPOSED MAXIMUM WERE $147 000 AND $168 000.

ADDITIONALLY BURIAL EXPENSES WOULD BE RAISED FROM $2 000 TO $3 000 AND THE CONSTANT ALLOWANCE FROM $67 000 TO $77 000, HE SAID.

THE COMMISSIONER RECALLED THAT WHEN MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL LAST MONTH, HE INDICATED HE WAS PREPARED TO ADJUST THE PROPOSED NEW COMPENSATION LEVELS IF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE LEVELS STILL ON THE LOW SIDE AND WISHED TO RAISE THEM.

FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS WITH A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNOFFICIALS' AD HOC GROUP, MR HENDERSON SAID HE FELT THERE WAS A STRONG CASE FOR SUCH ADJUSTMENTS.

THANKING DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI FOR SUGGESTING THAT THE LIABILITY OF SUB-CONTRACTORS BE GIVEN MORE LEGISLATIVE ATTENTION,* MR HENDERSON POINTED OUT THAT EXPERIENCE SHOWED THAT INJURED EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR SUB-CONTRACTORS HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY IN CLAIMING COMPENSATION.

THERE COULD BE CASES, HOWEVER, WHERE AN INJURED EMPLOYEE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHICH CONTRACTOR WAS ACTUALLY EMPLOYING HIM, IN SUCH A SITUATION, HE COULD ALWAYS CLAIM AGAINST THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR.

HOWEVER, HE WOULD EXAMINE THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF NECESSARY, HE ADDED.

THREE UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS SPOKE ON THE BILL.

THE CONVENOR OF AN AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, THE REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN SAID THE GROUP HAD EXAMINED THE WORKING PARTY'S REPORT, THE BILL AND A LIST OF CAREFULLY WORKED OUT SUGGESTIONS PUT FORWARD BY SEVERAL WORKERS ORGANISATIONS.

+WE WERE HAPPY TO FIND THAT THIS BILL, AND THE PROPOSED FUTURE BILL, LARGELY REFLECTED THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY REPORT AND AT THE SAME TIME MET MOST OF THE MAIN CRITICISMS AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES OF THE WORKERS' ORGANISATIONS, SUCH AS FOR EXAMPLE THE REMOVAL OF THE WAGE CEILING BY WHICH THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WILL BE EXTENDED TO ALL EMPLOYEES, FR MCGOVERN SAID.

THE GROUP HAD ALSO WORKED OUT A SET OF FIGURES TO PROPOSE AS AN INCREASE IN THE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS PAYABLE IN ORDER TO BRING THEM MORE IN LINE WITH THE INCREASE IN COSTS AND WAGES SINCE THE BILL WAS DRAFTED.

/ACKEVES