XN000022-1980-11-19 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980

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ANOTHER AMENDMENT WOULD STIPULATE THAT IN MORE SERIOUS CASES WHERE THE EMPLOYER DID HAVE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT, THE EMPLOYER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO THIS WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE ASSESSMENT OF THE EMPLOYEE'S DISABILITY BY THE COMPENSATION ASSESSMENT BOARD.

THE NEXT PRIORITY AFTER THESE MEASURES MUST BE THE ENACTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY OF COMPULSORY INSURANCE TO WHICH THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL REFERRED IN HIS POLICY SPEECH, MR HENDERSON SAID.

NEVERTHELESS, HE POINTED OUT, EVEN UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM ONLY A VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF INJURED WORKERS HAD TO GO TO DEPARTMENTS OTHER THAN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE IR NEEDS TO BE MET.

ONLY FATAL CASES AND DISPUTED NON-FATAL CASES HAD TO BE REFERRED TO THE COURTS FOR SETTLEMENT. IN SUCH CASES THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HELPED THE INJURED PERSON OR HIS DEPENDANTS TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE FROM THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WHERE NECESSARY, AND CLOSE LIAISON WAS MAINTAINED WITH ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THE CASES WERE DEALT WITH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

IN COMMENT ON LABOUR RELATIONS AND THE SPATE OF LABOUR DISPUTES+, THE COMMISSIONER SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD SET UP A PROMOTIONAL UNIT WITHIN THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE TO ADVISE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ON SUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS AND MACHINERY FOR IMPROVING LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS.

THE SPATE OF LABOUR DISPUTES+ SHOULD BE VIEWED IN PERSPECTIVE, HE STRESSED. THERE WAS NO MARKED DETERIORATION IN THE POSITION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS SOME PEOPLE APPEARED TO THINK WAS THE CASE.

THE NUMBERS OF WORK STOPPAGES AND WORKING DAYS LOST UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER THIS YEAR WERE LESS THAN THE EQUIVALENT FIGURES FOR 1978 AND 1979 WITH THE FIGURE FOR THE NUMBER OF TRADE DISPUTES ONLY MARGINALLY HIGHER.

IN COMPARATIVE TERMS THESE FIGURES WERE IN ANY CASE LOW, AND FOR EXAMPLE THE 20 000 WORKING DAYS LOST SO FAR THIS YEAR - 14 000 WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO ONE DISPUTE ONLY.

+HOWEVER WE ARE DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM THE PATTERN AND COURSE OF DISPUTES OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS FOR SEVERANCE PAY ON REDUNDANCY TO SEE WHERE IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS MAY BE NECESSARY.

+THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO EXAMINE THE FIELD OF UNREASONABLE DISMISSALS' AND THIS WE ARE ALSO UNDERTAKING WITH A VIEW TO MAKING PROPOSALS FOR CONSIDERATION AND CONSULTATION, SAID MR HENDERSON.

ON RECREATION FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEES, MR HENDERSON SAID HE WOULD WISH TO SIE FURTHER DELOPMENTS IN THIS FIELD WITHIN OUR RESOURCES. HOWEVER HE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE PRACTICABLE TO MAKE PRIORITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEES IN THE USE OF FACILITIES.

/IN HIJ