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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1c, 198
TEN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ALSO SPOKE AT THE RESUMED DEBATE,
THE HON T.S. LO, THE HON WONG LAM, THE HON F.K. HU, THE HON WONG PO-YAN, THE HON ̊K.C. CHAN, THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG, THE HON MRS SELINA CHOW AND DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP SUPPORTED THE MOTION WHILE THE REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN AND THE HON ANDREW SO ABSTAINED FROM VOTING,
MR WONG, SAID THE AD HOC GROUP AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. MADE THREE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCEPTE BY GOVERNMENT.
THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS TO DELETE THE HOSPITALISATION ELEMENT AS CONTAINED IN THE BILL.
*WE FELT THAT CONSIDERING THE CURRENT ACUTE SHORTAGE OF HOSPITAL BEDS, THIS PROVISION MIGHT WORK AGAINST WORKERS SUFFERING FROM SERIOUS ILLNESS BUT UNABLE TO GAIN ADMISSION TO HOSPITALS OR ARE REQUIRED TO STAY AT HOME FOR LONG PERIODS AFTER MAJOR OPERATIONS,+ MR WONG EXPLAINED.
THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS THAT ANY CLAIM BY A WORKER FOR SICKNESS BENEFITS IN EXCESS OF THE EXISTING MAXIMUM OF 36 DAYS WOULD HAVE TO BE SUPPORTED BY A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE FROM A HOSPITAL-BASED DOCTOR.
+AND IF SO REQUIRED BY HIS EMPLOYER THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE SHALL CONTAIN OR BE ACCOMPANIED BY A BRIEF RECORD OF THE INVESTIGATION CARRIED OUT AND THE TREATMENT PRESCRIBED BY THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONER,+ MR WONG SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, 'HOSPITAL' WOULD BE DEFINED TO INCLUDE A GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE HOSPITAL OR SPECIAL IST CLINIC.
MR WONG EXPLAINED THAT IN ESSENCE, THE 120 DAYS WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES. CATEGORY 1 COMPRISES 36 DAYS WHICH A WORKER MAY CLAIM AS SICKNESS BENEFITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT PROVISIONS.
CATEGORY 2 COMPRISES THE REMAINING 84 DAYS WHICH THE WORKER MAY CLAIM AS SICKNESS BENEFITS ONLY ON PRODUCTION OF A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE TO SHOW THAT HE HAS BEEN TREATED AS AN IN-PATIENT OR OUT-PATIENT IN A HOSPITAL.
MR WONG SAID, WE CONSIDERED THAT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS THAT SICKNESS ALLOWANCE IS PAYABLE ONLY FOR SICK LEAVE OF AT LEAST FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS AND THAT SICKNESS ALLOWANCE IS AT TWO-THIRDS PAY, THE NEW COMPROMISE COMPRISING TWO CATEGORIES WOULD BE A SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARD AGAINST ANY POTENTIAL ABUSE ON THE INCREASED BENEFITS.+
THE THIRD RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE SICK LEAVE EARNING RATE BE MODIFIED TO TWO DAYS PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE SAME EMPLOYER, AND FOUR DAYS PER MONTH FROM THE SECOND YEAR ONWARDS, SO THAT THE MAXIMUM OF 120 DAYS WILL BE EARNED IN THREE YEARS,
MR WONG POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS EQUIVALENT TO THE TIME REQUIRED FOR THE CURRENT MAXIMUM OF 36 DAYS TO BE EARNED.
/+REGARDING TRANSITIONAL
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