XN000022-1985-07-24 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1985

HE SAID IF THE BILL WAS PASSED, IT WOULD BECOME MANDATORY FOR WRITTEN CONTRACTS FOR EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG TO BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR FOR ATTESTATION BEFORE A WORKER LEFT HONG KONG TO TAKE UP EMPLOYMENT.

THIS PROCEDURE PROVIDED THE COMMISSIONER WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCRUTINISE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT, THUS ENSURING THAT THEY WERE COMPARABLE TO, IF NOT BETTER THAN, THE GENERAL EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS IN HONG KONG AND THAT THEY WERE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT WORKERS' INTERESTS.

+ IN THE EVENT OF THE CONTRACT BEING BREACHED, THE AGGRIEVED WORKER WILL BE ABLE TO GET COMPENSATION BY CLAIMING AGAINST THE LOCAL GUARANTOR OR FROM THE BANK BOND PUT UP EARLIER BY THE OVERSEAS EMPLOYER IN CASE A LOCAL GUARANTOR CANNOT BE FOUND, + DR HO EXPLAINED.

UNDER THE PRESENT ORDINANCE, WHEN A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT WAS TERMINATED AS A RESULT OF THE WORKER'S DEFAULT OR RESIGNATION, THE WORKER MIGHT RISK BEING DENIED A PAID PASSAGE HOME.

+THE AMENDMENT IN THIS BILL UNAMBIGUOUSLY PUTS THE OBLIGATION ON THE EMPLOYER TO REPATRIATE THE WORKER REGARDLESS OF HOW THE CONTRACT IS TERMINATED, HE SAID.

+NO DOUBT, AS A RESULT OF THE AMENDMENTS IN THIS BILL, THE ORDINANCE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION TO OUR WORKERS TAKING UP EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG, HE SAID.

ON PUBLICISING THE EFFECTS OF THE LEGISLATION, DR HO REQUESTED THE ADMINISTRATION NOT TO CONFINE ITS PUBLICITY EFFORTS TO LABOUR

ORGANISATIONS.

+SPECIAL EFFORT MUST BE MADE TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE TO THE GENERAL WORK-FORCE, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM MAY NOT BELONG TO ANY LABOUR ORGANISATION OR UNION, HE SAID.

THANKING DR HO FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON DARWIN CHEN SAID THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HOPED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE MASS MEDIA AS WELL AS RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS IN INFORMING WORKERS INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG OF THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE AMENDED CONTRACTS FOR OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

HE SAID DR HO'S POINT THAT PUBLICITY ON THE AMENDMENTS SHOULD BE AIMED AT THE GENERAL WORKFORCE HAD BEEN WELL TAKEN,

WORKERS INTERESTED IN OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT SHOULD BE INFORMED, IN PARTICULAR, OF THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CONTRACTS WERE ATTESTED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.

THE AMENDMENTS RETITLE THE ORDINANCE AS +CONTRACTS FOR EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG ORDINANCE+ AND REQUIRE ALL CONTRACTS FOR EMPLOYMENT OF LOCAL WORKERS OUTSIDE HONG KONG TO BE ATTESTED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR.

THE AMENDMENTS