XN000022-1985-05-20 — Page 14

MONDAY, MAY 20, 1985

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LABOUR OFFENCES DROP AS FINES GO UP

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THE NUMBER OF OFFENCES UNDER THE LABOUR LAW HAS DROPPED CONSIDERABLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985 AS A RESULT OF STEPPED- UP ACTION AND HEAVIER FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

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THE DEPARTMENT'S PROSECUTIONS DIVISION HANDLED 399 PROSECUTION CASES IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR FOR BREACHES OF SAFETY REGULATIONS, RESULTING IN A TOTAL OF $1 386 900 IN FINES IMPOSED, HE SAID.

IN COMPARISON THE FIGURES FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WERE 888 CASES AND A TOTAL FINE OF $1 266 850.

ALSO IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT TOOK OUT 595 PROSECUTIONS AGAINST EMPLOYERS FOR BREACHES OF THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS.

THESE CASES RESULTED IN FINES TOTALLING $607 290, COMPARED WITH 1 219 CASES IN THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR AND $746 550 IN FINES.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE LEVEL OF FINES FOR FACTORY SAFETY CASES RECORDED IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 33.7 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE PRECEDING QUARTER AND AN INCREASE OF 97.5 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE CORRESPONDING QUARTER IN 1984.

FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY CASES, THE INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF FINES WAS 82.2 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING QUARTER AND 174.81 PER CENT OVER THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR.

AS FOR CASES UNDER THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS, THE LEVEL OF FINES ALSO RECORDED AN INCREASE OF 10.29 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE PRECEDING QUARTER AND 38.97 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984.

THE INCREASES IN THE LEVEL OF FINES MIGHT HAVE HAD A DETERRENT EFFECT WHICH EXPLAINED THE RECENT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS TAKEN OUT BY THE DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.

OTHER FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OFFENCES WERE THE STRENGTHENED ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF REVISED PROSECUTION GUIDELINES BY THE DEPARTMENT.

HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT'S PROSECUTIONS DIVISION, WITH THE HELP OF THE OPERATIONAL DIVISIONS, HAD BEEN CONCENTRATING ON BRINGING THE MORE SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT OFFENDERS TO JUSTICE.

/ARRANGEMENTS HAVE