XN000022-1984-01-17 — Page 13

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1984 ·

LRS HELPS SETTLE PROBLEMS

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IN 1983 THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT RECORDED AN ALL-TIME LOW FIGURE FOR WORKING DAYS LOST DUE TO WORK STOPPAGES SINCE RECORDS STARTED

IN 1968.

LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 11 WORK STOPPAGES RESULTING IN 2 530 WORK ING DAYS LOST, WHICH REPRESENTS AN AVERAGE OF 1.15 DAYS LOST PER THOUSAND EMPLOYEES.

+THIS FIGURE IS VERY LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS,

MR DONALD CHAN, CHIEF LABOUR OFFICER, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

+ IT IS A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS IN GENERAL IN HONG KONG, IT ALSO SHOWS THAT IN HELPING EMPLOYERS OVERCOME THEIR DIFFICULT TIMES, OUR WORKERS ARE WILLING TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT.+

OF

DURING THE YEAR, MR CHAN POINTED OUT, THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE (LRS) OF THE DEPARTMENT HANDLED 152 TRADE DISPUTES. THESE, 68 OR 45 PER CENT, WERE SETTLED, WHILE THE REST WERE MOSTLY INSOLVENCY CASES THAT HAD TO BE PASSED TO THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT FOR WINDING UP PROCEEDINGS.

THE LRS ALSO PROVIDED CONCILIATION FOR 17 739 CLAIMS IN CONNECTION WITH PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE OR TERMS OF CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT; SETTLED 11 658 OR 66 PER CENT OF THEM AND REFERRED MOST OF THE REMAINDER TO THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL FOR JUDICIAL DECISION.

A TOTAL OF 19 633 WORKERS RECEIVED SOME $40 MILLION FROM THE IR EMPLOYERS AFTER THE IR LABOUR-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS WERE SETTLED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE LRS.

OF THIS SUM, $8 143 243 OR 20 PER CENT WAS SEVERANCE PAYMENTS MADE TO 2 731 EMPLOYEES RENDERED REDUNDANT BY OPERATIONAL OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE REMAINING $32 416 506 WAS PAID OUT AS ARREARS OF WAGES WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, STATUTORY HOLIDAY PAY, BONUSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS DUE TO 19 622 EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE 2 731 WHO RECEIVED SEVERANCE PAYMENTS.

IN THE SAME YEAR, THE LRS INVESTIGATED 197 MAJOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALLEGED BREACHES OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, SUCH AS FAILURE TO PROVIDE REST DAYS, HOLIDAYS WITH PAY, ANNUAL LEAVE WITH PAY AND IMPROPER DEDUCTIONS OF WORKERS' WAGES.

DURING THE YEAR, THE LRS ALSO HANDLED 302 277 ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS, COMPARED WITH 272 754 CASES IN 1982.

MOST OF THESE CONCERNED PROVISIONS IN THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OTHER MATTERS CONCERNING LABOUR RELATIONS.

+THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES AND CONSULTATIONS REFLECTS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BY BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, MR CHAN SAID.

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