XN000022-1983-07-08 — Page 8

FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1983

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+SOME WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE CAREERS AND ENQUIRED ABOUT THE WAYS AND MEANS FOR REGISTRATION; SOME LIKE THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND APPLIANCES TRADE WORKERS UNION, HAD PRESENTED THE IR VIEWS BOTH TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND TO THE PRESS WHILE QUITE A NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS AND INDIVIDUALS HAD ASKED TO BE LICENSED AND REGISTERED, HE SAID.

+ IT IS VERY REASSURING TO LEARN SUCH SUPPORT EXISTS, ESPECIALLY AS THESE SPONTANEOUS SUPPORTS ARE SO FREELY AND ABUNDANTLY EXPRESSED IN FAVOUR OF THE MANDATORY LICENSING AND REGISTRATION OF CONTRACTORS AND WORKERS ENGAGED IN THE TRADE.✦

TURNING TO THE QUALITY OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS IN HONG KONG, MR OSBORNE SAID IT RANGED FROM THE VERY BEST TO THE VERY POOR.

HE PRAISED THE WORK QUALITY OF MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION, BUT ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY.

+ELECTRICAL ACCIDENTS DO OCCUR AND FIRES DO HAVE AN ELECTRICAL ORIGIN, HE SAID. THEY BOTH HAPPEN FAR MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEY SHOULD.+

MR OSBORNE SAID THAT BECAUSE THE TRADE HAD PROBABLY ENJOYED THE FASTEST GROWTH OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, IT WAS NOW DESPERATELY IN NEED OF TRAINED AND SKILLED CRAFTSMEN AND TECHNICIANS SO THAT INSTALLATIONS COULD BE COMPLETED MORE EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY.

REGARDING THE LICENSING AND REGISTRATION ASPECTS OF THE FUTURE LAW, MR OSBORNE REASSURED MEMBERS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT GO AROUND BREAKING PEOPLE'S RICE-BOWLS.

+IT IS PLANNED TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO PEOPLE WITH PROVEN EXPERIENCE EVEN IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS WHICH ONE WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT TO POSSESS, HE SAID.

+IT IS ALSO PLANNED THAT TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO ALLOW CONTRACTORS AND WORKERS IN THE TRADE TIME TO GET LICENSED AND REGISTERED.+

IN PROPOSING THE NEW LEGISLATION, MR OSBORNE SAID, IT WAS NOT GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO LOOK FOR MORE INTERVENTION BUT, RATHER. JUST THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH A POLICY OF EDUCATION, TRAINING, PREVENTION, SELF-REGULATION AND PROSECUTION COULD ́ BE EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED.

+EDUCATION IS, OF COURSE, THE EFFORT TO GENERATE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DANGER AND OF THE NEED AND WAYS TO AVOID IT- TRAINING IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE WORK OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND VOLUNTARY ACTIONS SUCH AS THAT TAKEN BY YOUR ASSOCIATION.

+PREVENTION NEEDS A SET OF COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEABLE REGULATIONS AND CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE AND GUIDANCE TO THOSE ENGAGED IN THE TRADE- SELF-REGULATION IS, OF COURSE, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF GOVERNMENT. AND PROSECUTION IS ONLY A DETERRENT AND THE LAST MOVE WHICH WE HOPE WE NEVER HAVE TO USE,+ MR OSBORNE SAID.

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