XN000022-1986-04-20 — Page 12

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SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 1986

+LITTLE CHILDREN'S NATURAL CURIOSITY CAN LEAD TO TROUBLE

AS CHILDREN WHEN MATCHES OR LIGHTERS ARE LEFT WITHIN REACH. GROW UP, TEACH THEM ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION. BUT, UNTIL THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH, KEEP MATCHES AND LIGHTERS OUT OF SIGHT,+ HE ADVISED.

+IN FACT, EVERY HOME FIRE REPRESENTS A FAILURE TO CORRECT HAZARDS AND A FAILURE TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS,→ HE ADDED.

LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 3 114 FIRES OCCURRED IN PRIVATE DOMESTIC FLATS AND PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, COMPARED WITH 2 967 IN 1984.

113 CLAIMS FOR LONG SERVICE PAYMENT

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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD RECEIVED 113 CLAIMS FROM WORKERS FOR LONG SERVICE PAYMENT IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS SINCE THE LEGISLATION ON THE SCHEME CAME INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

THIS WAS 2.1 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ALL CLAIMS HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S LABOUR RELATIONS SERVICE, CHIEF LABOUR OFFICER, MR CHOW TUNG-SHAN, SAID.

MR CHOW, WHO HEADS THE LABOUR RELATIONS DIVISION, REMINDED EMPLOYERS THAT EMPLOYEES WHO WERE REQUIRED TO RETIRE WERE ENTITLED TO LONG SERVICE PAYMENTS CALCULATED ACCORDING TO THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE.

EMPLOYEES WHO RESIGNED ON THEIR OWN ACCORD WERE, HOWEVER, NOT ENTITLED TO SUCH PAYMENTS.

+LONG SERVICE PAYMENT IS AT PRESENT NOT A PROBLEM FOR EMPLOYERS. BUT IT WILL BECOME ONE IN FIVE TO 10 YEARS' TIME IF EMPLOYERS DO NOT START MAKING FINANCIAL PROVISIONS FOR IT,+ HE SAID.

MR CHOW SAID EMPLOYERS SHOULD TAKE THE ACCUMULATED SERVICE OF AN EMPLOYEE AS A PART OF THE LABOUR COST AND TREAT IT AS A DEFERRED LIABILITY.

+THE BEST WAY IS FOR EMPLOYERS TO SET UP A CONTRIBUTORY PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME.

+EMPLOYERS WILL BENEFIT FROM A PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME BECAUSE IT WILL RELIEVE THEM FROM THE BURDEN OF THE GROWING LIABILITY OF THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT, AND SEVERANCE PAY.+

/MR CHOW ..........