XN000022-1980-10-06 — Page 6

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1980

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ADMISSIONS TO THE CENTRE WOULD BE ARRANGED PROGRESSIVELY AND WOULD BE MAINLY REFERRALS BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

THE PROJECT IS INITIALLY FINANCED BY LOTTERIES FUND GRANTS FOR FOUR YEARS, AFTER WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER GIVING SUBVENTION, CAPITAL COST WAS $1.88 MILLION, WHILE RECURRENT EXPENDITURE IS $1.56 MILLION PER ANNUM.

COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT IN EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

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FAILURE TO GRASP THE HUMAN ASPECTS OF AN EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP OFTEN LEADS TO BREAKDOWN OF MUTUAL COMMUNICATION OR UNDERSTANDING, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF LABOUR OFFICER (LABOUR RELATIONS), MR DONALD CHAN, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) AT A ROTARY CLUB OF VICTORIA LUNCHEON MEETING.

MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT TWO FACTORS WERE CRITICAL FOR THE BASIS OF GOOD HUMAN RELATIONSHIP AT WORK.

FIRST, HE EXPLAINED, EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES HAD TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER WITH FULL AND MUTUAL RESPECT. SECOND, THERE MUST BE ADEQUATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES.

THE MOST COMMON METHOD OF COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANISATION WAS THROUGH THE HIERARCHY. THE PROBLEM HERE, HOWEVER, WAS THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE FILTERED AT EACH LEVEL OF THE HIERARCHY.

AS

A RESULT, TOP MANAGEMENT WAS LIKELY TO LOSE TOUCH WITH EMPLOYEES AT THE GRASS-ROOT LEVEL.

MR CHAN SAID THERE WERE VARIOUS WAYS AND MEANS TO SUPPLEMENT THIS MODE OF COMMUNICATION.

JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE FREQUENTLY USED IN LARGE COMPANIES TO FACILITATE A DIRECT DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE ORGANISATION,

JOINT CONSULTATION COULD ALWAYS BE APPROACHED, TO BEGIN WITH,

IN THE MORE FLEXIBLE AND LESS FORMALISED MANNER.

IT WAS OFTEN FOUND EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE EMPLOYER COULD START WITH COMMITTEES ON LESS SENSITIVE MATTERS SUCH AS WELFARE, TRANSPORT OR RECREATION.

+THESE PRACTICES THEREFORE SERVE NOT ONLY AS SUPPLEMENTARY CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BUT ALSO AS TRAINING GROUNDS FOR WORKERS REPRESENTATIVES WHO AT A LATER DATE COULD FUNCTION IN THE MORE FORMAL JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES, SAID MR CHAN.

ON THE ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS, MR CHAN SAID THAT MAINTAINING A VIABLE AND WORKABLE DIALOGUE WITH THEM CONSTITUTED A SALIENT ASPECT OF LABOUR-MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION.

TRADE UNIONS