XN000022-1982-01-06 — Page 8

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MCUNEOLA, ANUARY 0, 1982

CHANGES TO PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

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THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STATUTORY HOLIDAYS BY ONE DAY AND TO CHANGE THE DAYS ON WHICH CERTAIN GENERAL HOLIDAYS FALL.

AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE AND THE HOLIDAYS ORDINANCE WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LATER THIS YEAR WITH A VIEW TO INTRODUCING THE CHANGES IN 1983.

STATUTORY HOLIDAYS APPLY TO ALL MANUAL WORKERS AND THOSE NON-MANUAL WORKERS WHOSE WAGES DO NOT EXCEED $6 000 PER MONTH. IN ADDITION TO REST DAYS AND ANNUAL LEAVE, SUCH EMPLOYEES ARE ENTITLED TO TEN HOLIDAYS WITH PAY EVERY YEAR, NINE OF WHICH ARE SPECIFIED AND THE REMAINING BEING A FLOATING HOLIDAY TO BE FIXED ON A DATE AGREED BETWEEN EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE INTENTION WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STATUTORY HOLIDAYS TO ELEVEN BY CREATING A SECOND FLOATING HOLIDAY. THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING THE NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS ENJOYED BY THIS GROUP OF WORKERS.

+ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF STATUTORY HOLIDAYS COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THAT IN OTHER COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS IT DESIRABLE TO IMPROVE THE BENEFITS ENJOYED BY MANUAL WORKERS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED TODAY WERE ARRIVED AT FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH TRADE UNIONS, EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS AND PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID WHILE THERE WAS NO INTENTION OF ALTERING THE NUMBER OF GENERAL HOLIDAYS, SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE FORMAT OF THESE HOLIDAYS WOULD BE INTRODUCED.

THE MAIN PROPOSAL IS TO BRING TOGETHER SOME GENERAL HOLIDAYS ON A SATURDAY AND THE FOLLOWING MONDAY SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN ENJOY LONGER WEEKENDS.

THE HOLIDAY WHICH NOW FALLS ON THE FIRST MONDAY IN AUGUST WILL BE MOVED TO THE SATURDAY PRECEDING THE LIBERATION DAY HOLIDAY ON THE LAST MONDAY IN AUGUST.

ANOTHER GROUPING WILL BE TO CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY ON THE SECOND SATURDAY IN JUNE, WHICH IS IN ANY CASE THE QUEEN'S OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY, AND TO MOVE TO THE MONDAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THE HOLIDAY NOW ENJOYED ON THE FIRST WEEKDAY IN JULY.

FURTHER CHANGES ARE PROPOSED FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL HOLIDAYS, IN A YEAR IN WHICH THE FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR FALLS ON A SUNDAY, THEN NEW YEAR'S EVE WILL BECOME A HOLIDAY INSTEAD OF THE FOURTH DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR AS AT PRESENT. SIMILARLY,

SIMILARLY, IF THE DAY FOLLOWING CHINESE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL SHOULD FALL ON A SUNDAY, THEN THE CHINESE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL DAY ITSELF WILL BE CELEBRATED AS A HOLIDAY.

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