XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 63

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986

MR TSAO POINTED OUT ONE OF HONG KONG'S POWER COMPANIES HAD JOINED ITS COUNTERPART IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NUCLEAR PLANT TO PROVIDE POWER FOR CONSUMERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER, WORK ON A HK$2 BILLION EXPANSION TO A CONTAINER PORT BEGAN IN 1985 AND INVESTORS FROM JAPAN, CHINA AND GREAT BRITAIN WOULD BEGIN WORK THIS YEAR TO BUILD A SECOND HARBOUR CROSSING.

+ROAD AND RAIL LINKS WITH CHINA ARE ALSO BEING IMPROVED, FURTHER CEMENTING THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WHICH WE ENJOY WITH NEIGHBOURING GUANGDONG, MR TSAO SAID.

OUTLINING VARIOUS FACETS WHICH HAVE CONTRIB ED TO HONG KONG'S MIRACULOUS SUCCESS, MR TSAO SAID ONE OF THE REASONS HONG KONG WAS GOING TO EXPO 86 WAS TO GIVE ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED A TASTE OF ITS EXTRAORDINARY DYNAMISM AND DIVERSITY.

HE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE HONG KONG/CANADA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND ITS COUNTERPART IN HONG KONG, THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN BOOSTING THE LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANADA AND THE HELP GIVEN TO HONG KONG IN RAISING FUNDS FOR EXPO' 86.

CLOSE WATCH ON LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME

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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THE EFFECTS OF THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME ON WORKERS' EMPLOYMENT AND ITS FINANCIAL IMPACT ON EMPLOYERS, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR ALFRED CHAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

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SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF SHATIN, HE SAID REACTIONS FROM VARIOUS QUARTERS WOULD BE MONITORED FOR AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE SCHEME AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

MR CHAN SAID THE LEGISLATION HAD COME INTO OPERATION FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AND THE SITUATION SO FAR HAD BEEN SATISFACTORY.

+ THE SCHEME HAS ALREADY BENEFITED SOME WORKERS WHO WERE NOT UNDER ANY PROTECTION BEFORE THEY INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE NEARING THEIR RETIREMENT AGE AND THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED FOR THE SAME EMPLOYERS FOR A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF YEARS.+

HOWEVER, MR CHAN SAID, THAT SINCE THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT PROVISIONS DID NOT APPLY TO RESIGNATIONS AND DISCIPLINARY DISMISSALS, AGED WORKERS WHO RESIGNED FOR HEALTH REASONS WERE NOT PROTECTED.

+THIS IS NOT A SATISFACTORY SITUATION WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE AND WE ARE NOW STUDYING WHETHER WE SHOULD EXTEND THE PROTECTION TO COVER RESIGNATION FOR HEALTH REASONS, AND HOW THIS COULD BE DONE.+

/MR CHAN