XN000022-1983-10-12 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1983

+REGARDING TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS CONFIRMED THAT SICK LEAVE ENTITLEMENT ACCRUED BY A WORKER BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE BILL WILL NOT BE AFFECTED AND THAT HIS SERVICE WITH THE SAME EMPLOYER WILL BE COUNTED IN CALCULATING SICK LEAVE BENEFITS AT THE RATE APPLICABLE TO HIS LENGTH OF SERVICE,+ HE SAID.

MR WONG EXPRESSED HIS THANKS TO THE 22 MEMBERS OF THE GROUP FOR THEIR CONCERTED EFFORTS AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION AND TO MR T.S. LO WHO HAS AGREED TO MOVE THE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS AGREED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.

MR WONG SAID, +WE DO NOT PRETEND FOR A MOMENT THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE PROPOSED WOULD PRESENT A PANACEA.

→FAR FROM IT; WE ARE FULLY CONSCIOUS OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND COMPLEXITIES INHERENT IN THE MATTERS AT ISSUE.

+HOWEVER, WE HAVE PUT FORWARD A PACKAGE WHICH IN OUR VIEWS IS REASONABLE AND WORKABLE.+

SINCE THE REVIEW OF LABOUR LEGISLATION IS AN ON-GOING PROCESS, HE EXPRESSED THE BELIEF THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD NO DOUBT INTRODUCE FURTHER AMENDMENTS, SHOULD PROBLEMS ARISE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW PROVISIONS.

HE RECALLED THAT THE BILL WAS INTRODUCED ON JULY 13, 1983 AND THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR JULY 27, WAS DEFERRED TO AUGUST 10 SO THAT ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC COULD HAVE MORE TIME TO STUDY THE BILL AND PRESENT THEIR VIEWS.

+IN THE LIGHT OF THESE CONFLICTING VIEWS, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS DECIDED THAT THE BILL SHOULD BE FURTHER DEFERRED SO THAT THE REPRESENTATIONS PUT FORTH BY ALL INTERESTED PARTIES COULD BE

STUDIED THOROUGHLY.

+AS THIS COUNCIL WENT INTO RECESS AFTER AUGUST 10, THE EARL IEST DATE AVAILABLE FOR THE DEBATE TO RESUME IS TODAY. AS SCHEDULED, WE HAVE RESUMED DEBATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE CONTINUED OUR DISCUSSIONS AND CONSULTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE RECESS, + HE SAID.

MR WONG STRESSED THAT THE DEFERMENT HAD PROVED TO BE FRUITFUL. UMELCO HAD RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 28 REPRESENTATIONS FROM EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATIONS AS WELL AS FROM CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS.

•TO GIVE SOME IDEA OF THE EFFORTS PUT IN BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, I NEED ONLY SAY THAT THE AD HOC GROUP HELD NO LESS THAN 16 MEETINGS DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS, HE SAID.

TWO RELATED ISSUES WHICH DID NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL HAD ALSO BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE REPRESENTATIONS TO UMELCO.

THEY CONCERNED THE SETTING UP OF A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS IN THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.

THESE VIEWS HAD BEEN MADE KNOWN TO THE ADMINISTRATION, MR WONG SAID.