XN000022-1983-11-01 — Page 4

I

3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1983

TURNING TO THE LOCAL INVESTMENT SCENE, MR MACLEOD SAID THE TRADE DEPARTMENT'S STATISTICS SHOWED THAT NEW FACTORIES CONTINUED TO BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG DESPITE POLITICAL UNCERTAINTIES IN SEPTEMBER ALONE, 187 NEW FACTORIES WERE REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN PURPOSES, INCLUDING 76 GARMENT FACTORIES, 19 ELECTRONIC FACTORIES AND NINE TOY FACTORIES.

IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, OVER 1 000 EXPORTERS OR MANUFACTURERS WERE NEWLY REGISTERED WITH THE TRADE DEPARTMENT UNDER THE QUOTA SYSTEM - ALTHOUGH NOT ALL WERE NECESSARILY NEW COMPANIES.

+WHILE IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF EVENTS SOME COMPANIES WILL ALSO HAVE CEASED BUSINESS, FIGURES LIKE THESE, TOGETHER WITH THE ENCOURAGING TRADE FIGURES FOR THIS YEAR, UNDERLINE THE FACT THAT TRADE CONTINUES AND PROFITS ARE STILL THERE TO BE MADE,+ MR MACLEOD CONCLUDED,

-

NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY' STRESSED

****

LEGISLATION IS BY NO MEANS THE KEY TO SOLVING EVERY LABOUR RELATIONS PROBLEM, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR RON BRIDGE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE ALSO STRESSED THAT FLEXIBILITY WAS NO LESS IMPORTANT.

MR BRIDGE WAS SPEAKING IN CANTONESE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A TRAINING COURSE ON LABOUR RELATIONS ORGANISED BY THE LABOUR RELATIONS PROMOTION UNIT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT FOR EMPLOYERS, MANAGEMENT STAFF AND TRADE UNION OFFICIALS.

THE COURSE CONCENTRATES ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

MR BRIDGE SAID THAT LEGISLATION, WHICH SPECIFIED THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, WAS OF COURSE IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER LEGISLATION COULD SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS IN HUMAN RELATIONS AND LABOUR-MANAGEMENT CO-OPERATION.

CITING AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT IF A YOUNG COURTING COUPLE HAD A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, THEY WOULD NOT RELY ON THE LAW TO SORT IT OUT. +CANNOT LABOUR RELATIONS SOMETIMES BE EQUALLY SENSITIVE? HE ASKED.

MR BRIDGE SUGGESTED THAT ONE SHOULD EXERCISE FLEXIBILITY IN HANDLING PERSONNEL MATTERS.

+WHILE ONE HAS TO CONFORM WITH LEGISLATION, ONE HAS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS EMPLOYEES' LENGTH OF SERVICE AND THEIR DUTY PERFORMANCES. IN THE LONG TERM WILL THIS WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF EMPLOYEES AND ENHANCE LABOUR RELATIONS?+

DEMAND FOR PLACES ON THE COURSE WAS SO GREAT THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED APPLICANTS COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED THIS TIME. THEY WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY FOR SIMILAR COURSES TO BE HELD NEXT YEAR.

14