XN000022-1984-11-16 — Page 7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1984

6

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THAT BY VIRTUE OF THE REGULARITY OF THE IR EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IR EMPLOYERS, THESE EMPLOYEES WERE CONSIDERED TO HAVE A RIGHTFUL CLAIM TO MORE BENEFITS AND BETTER PROTECTION THAN CASUAL OR TRANSIENT EMPLOYEES.

HOWEVER, IN RECENT YEARS MORE PEOPLE WERE WORKING PART-TIME+.

HE SAID, +WHILE SOME HAVE TAKEN UP JOBS THAT ARE TRULY PART-TIME IN NATURE, SOME ARE WORKING PART-TIME' ONLY IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WORK LESS THAN SIX HOURS DAILY.+

THESE EMPLOYEES WERE NOT CLASSIFIED AS +CONTINUOUS CONTRACT+ EMPLOYEES.

+EMPLOYEES, WHO IN EVERY RESPECT DO HAVE REGULAR EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IR EMPLOYERS, HAVE BEEN DENIED THE ENTITLEMENT TO VARIOUS STATUTORY RIGHTS JUST BECAUSE THEY WORK LESS THAN SIX HOURS EACH DAY, MR CHAN SAID.

IN ORDER TO KEEP THE LEGISLATION IN TUNE WITH CHANGING NEEDS, IT WAS CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO ABOLISH THE SIX HOUR QUALIFYING CONDITION AND TO REPLACE TO PRESENT CRITERIA OF +4 WEEKS-3 DAYS- 6 HOURS+ BY A MORE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD ONE.

+

+OUR PROPOSED CRITERIA IS 4 WEEKS-18 HOURS',

THIS IS TO

SAY, AN EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS FOR THE SAME EMPLOYER FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS FOR NOT LESS THAN 18 HOURS ON EACH WEEK WILL BECOME A CONTINUOUS COOFBA1,73.0)9633,+ MR CHAN SAID.

BY THE PROPOSAL, HE SAID, THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WERE FORMERLY DENIED THE VARIOUS BENEFITS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE STATUTORY ENTITLEMENTS UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

MR CHAN SAID THE PROPOSAL WAS NOW BEING FORMULATED AND A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE PUT TO THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.

MORE PLACES FOR SEVERELY RETARDED ADULTS

****

THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL AND DAY CARE PLACES FOR SEVERELY RETARDED ADULTS FROM THE PRESENT 173 PLACES TO 850 PLACES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID THIS AFTERNOON.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE PRISCILLA HOME OF THE SOCIETY OF HOMES FOR THE HANDICAPPED IN SHAU KEI WAN. HE SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT A GROUP HOME FOR SEVERELY DISABLED ADULTS HAD BEEN SET UP IN PRIVATE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION.

+THIS IS AN ENTERPRISING AND ENCOURAGING INITIATIVE, WHICH

I HOPE WILL POINT THE WAY TO A GREATER EXPANSION OF NON-INSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR MENTALLY RETARDED ADULTS WHO CANNOT COPE FOR THEMSELVES IN THE COMMUNITY,

HE SAID.

/DURING THE