XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 64

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19,

1986

62

MR CHAN SAID THAT IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS SINCE THE SCHEME WENT INTO OPERATION, THE LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE (LRS) HAD RECEIVED MORE THAN 70 COMPLAINTS FROM WORKERS CONCERNING LONG SERVICE PAYMENT.

+HOWEVER, THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS ONLY TWO PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINT CASES RECEIVED BY THE LRS DURING THE TWO MONTHS.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT FEW EMPLOYERS WOULD DISMISS A HARD-WORKING AND LOYAL EMPLOYEE JUST TO GET AROUND THEIR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

+FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IN HANDLING LABOUR DISPUTES, EMPLOYERS TENDED TO DISMISS WORKERS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT MAINLY BASED ON THE WORKERS' CAPABILITIES AND VERY FEW DID IT JUST FOR THE ONE REASON THAT THE WORKERS ARE GETTING OLD.+

HOWEVER, MR CHAN STRESSED THAT WORKERS WHO WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE REASONS FOR THEIR DISMISSAL COULD ALWAYS SEEK HELP FROM THE LRS AND EMPLOYERS WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY LONG SERVICE PAYMENT IF THE REASONS FOR DISMISSAL WERE NOT JUSTIFIED.

HE SAID UNDER THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT LEGISLATION, EMPLOYERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR A FUTURE LIABILITY+ TO THEIR EMPLOYEES.

MR CHAN EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE LAW, THE AMOUNT OF LONG SERVICE PAYMENT COULD BE REDUCED BY THE PART OF PROVIDENT FUND CONTRIBUTED BY THE EMPLOYER, WHICH IS ALSO EXEMPT FROM TAXATION IN ANY RETIREMENT OR PROVIDENT FUND SCHEMES APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR INLAND REVENUE.

VITAL ROLE PLAYED IN FIGHTING RIVER POLLUTION

****

THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN HELPING TO MINIMISE THE POLLUTION OF RIVERS IN THE NORTH DISTRICT, THE DISTRICT HYGIENE SUPERINTENDENT (NORTH), MR UN WAI-KWOK, SAID AT A MEETING OF THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE TOLD THE MEETING THAT DUE TO THE DECLINE OF AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS IN THE LATE 1950'S, MANY FARMERS IN THE DISTRICT HAD SWITCHED TO ANIMAL REARING.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE IS THE GROWTH OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL FACTORIES.

A LOT

F

IN THE ABSENCE OF A PURPOSE-DESIGNED DRAINAGE SYSTEM, OF ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FINDS ITS WAYS INTO THE STREAMS AND RIVERS,+ HE SAID.

/+IN ADDITION,