XN000022-1984-01-02 — Page 4

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1984

MR HSU WAS ADDRESSING A GATHERING AT THE +WORKERS NIGHT+ WHICH MARKED THE END OF THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT MODEL WORKERS AWAR SCHEME HELD AT THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT APART FROM BEING THE LARGEST NEW TOWN, TSUEN WAN WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL TOWN WITH MORE THAN 12 000 FACTORIES IN TSUEN WAN, EMPLOYING SOME 170 000 WORKERS.

+THIS SHOWS THAT INDUSTRY PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND SOLVING OR IMPROVING PROBLEMS FACING THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR HAS BECOME ONE OF GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES.

+IN FACT, CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT DEAL TO IMPROVE LABOUR RELATIONS AND SOLVE LABOUR DISPUTES, AND THESE EFFORTS HAVE PROVED REWARDING.+

MR HSU SAID A NUMBER OF COMPANIES AND FACTORIES HAD CLOSED LAST YEAR.

+ IF THESE CASES WERE NOT DEALT WITH PROPERLY, THEY MIGHT HAVE BROUGHT INSTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT DUE TO THE TRADITIONAL GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS AND APPROPRIATE ACTION AND CONCILIATION BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, MANY DISPUTES WERE SETTLED SATISFACTORILY.

+BUT IT WAS NOT GOVERNMENT EFFORTS ALONE THAT HAD BROUGHT ABOUT SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS TO THESE CASES. ON THE CONTRARY, THIS WAS BASICALLY DUE TO THE FRANK ATTITUDE AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS. IT IS, THEREFORE, NECESSARY FOR ALL PARTIES CONCERNED TO EXPLORE BETTER WAYS TO FURTHER PROMOTE GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS.+

MR HSU STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF, AND NEED FOR, CO-OPERATION AMONG EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYERS, WORKERS UNIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS.

HE SAID THE DISTRICT BOARD'S INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE HAD BEEN PROVIDING DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO DISCUSS LABOUR LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND RELATED MATTER.

VIEWS SO EXPRESSED WERE REFERRED TO GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION.

IN ADDITION, ACTIVITIES WERE ORGANISED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR TIES WITH THE DISTRICT BOARD, AND TO PROMOTE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.

THE +WORKERS NIGHT+ FEATURED A VARIETY SHOW BY COMMERCIAL RADIO 1.

TEN +MODEL WORKERS+ AND WINNERS OF THE INDUSTRIAL CHESS COMPETITION AND SINGING COMPETITION ALSO RECEIVED THEIR PRIZES.

THE TEN MODEL WORKERS WILL ACT AS +WORKERS AMBASSADORS+ PAYING GOODWILL VISITS TO A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS LATER THIS MONTH.

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