XN000022-1980-12-23 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1980

HOWEVER, MR ALLEYNE POINTED OUT, WE HAVE YET A LONG WAY TO GO IN MEETING OUR PLANNED TARGETS AND THERE IS A CONTINUING NEED TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR THIS GROUP.+

HE UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINT EFFORTS BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND THE GOVERNMENT IN ACHIEVING THE TARGETS, AND OF THE ROLE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR MUST PLAY.

HE SAID IT WAS A CREDIT TO THE HARD WORK OF THE SOCIETY THAT, IN LESS THAN A YEAR, TWO RESIDENTIAL CENTRES HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO OPERATION TO PROVIDE A SERVICE MUCH NEEDED BY THE LESS FORTUNATE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST BY PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND - IN THIS CASE, $1.88 MILLION AS CAPITAL SUBVENTION, AND FOUR YEARS' RECURRENT GRANT AT $1.56 MILLION PER ANNUM, HE SAID.

AT THE CEREMONY, MR ALLEYNE UNVEILED A PLAQUE TO MARK THE OPENING. THE MOST RÉV BISHOP JOHN BAPTIST WU BLESSED THE CENTRE.

THE CENTRE PROVIDES TRAINING IN BASIC SELF-HELP, SIMPLE HANDICRAFT, WORK HABITS, AS WELL AS SOCIALIZING AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMES.

REMINDER ON EMPLOYEE IDENTITY RECORDS

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EMPLOYERS WERE REMINDED TODAY THAT STARTING FROM JANUARY 1, 1981, THEY ARE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION IF THEY FAIL TO KEEP A RECORD OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AS REQUIRED BY THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THIS REQUIREMENT CAME INTO FORCE LAST MONTH THE DEPARTMENT HAD ISSUED WARNING LETTERS, INSTEAD OF RESORTING TO PROSECUTION, TO EMPLOYERS WHO FAILED TO KEEP EMPLOYEE RECORDS OR WHOSE EMPLOYEE RECORDS WERE NOT KEPT IN A PROPER FORMAT.

+EMPLOYERS BY NOW SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW REQUIREMENT AND SHOULD HAVE MADE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS IN RESPECT OF EMPLOYEE RECORDS. FROM NEXT MONTH ANY EMPLOYER WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW REQUIREMENT IS LIABLE TO PROSECUTION AND TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $10 000 ON CONVICTION, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.

THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT AN EMPLOYEE RECORD SHOULD CONTAIN THE EMPLOYEE'S FULL NAME AS SHOWN ON HIS IDENTITY CARD OR ANY OTHER APPROVED IDENTITY DOCUMENT AND THE TYPE AND NUMBER OF THE DOCUMENT IN QUESTION.

/IF MORE