XN000022-1986-04-27 — Page 2

SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1986

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RESTRICTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN STRESSED

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FACTORY PROPRIETORS ARE WARNED THAT IT IS AN OFFENCE TO EMPLOY WOMEN WORKERS IN INDUSTRY ON THEIR REST DAYS, OR FOR THEM TO WORK OUTSIDE THEIR FIXED PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT.

+EMPLOYERS WHO DID SO WOULD BE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000 ON CONVICTION,+ SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR PONG PING-KWUN, SAID.

MR PONG WAS COMMENTING ON A RECENT CASE IN WHICH THE OWNER OF A GARMENT FACTORY IN SAN PO KONG WAS FINED $10 000 FOR EMPLOYING WOMEN WORKERS ON THEIR REST DAY AND TO WORK OVERTIME.

+ THE RESTRICTIONS ON OVERTIME EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN WORKERS OUTSIDE THEIR NORMAL WORKING HOURS OF EIGHT HOURS A DAY IS GOVERNED BY THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS (INDUSTRY) REGULATIONS, HE SAID.

UNDER EXISTING PROVISIONS, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN WORKERS ON THEIR REST DAYS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.

+ HOWEVER, AN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING CAN ENGAGE WORMEN WORKERS TO PERFORM OVERTIME WORK NOT EXCEEDING TWO HOURS A DAY, SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF 200 HOURS A YEAR, MR PONG ADDED.

HE SAID THE LEGISLATION WAS AIMED AT PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF WOMEN WORKERS IN INDUSTRY.

+EMPLOYERS WHO ARE UNDER PRESSURE OF SUDDEN ORDERS, BREAKDOWN OF MACHINERY OR OTHER UNFORESEEN EMERGENCY, HOWEVER, CAN APPLY TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR FOR AN INCREASE OF THE ANNUAL QUOTA IF THEIR ANNUAL OVERTIME QUOTA HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED.+

HE SAID APPLICATIONS MUST HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE WOMEN

WORKERS AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED OVERTIME WORK.

MR PONG SAID THE NUMBER OF OVERTIME HOURS WORKED BY WOMEN EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRY DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR HAS SHOWN A SLIGHT INCREASE OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF LAST YEAR.

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985, OVER 105 000 WOMEN WORKERS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE PERFORMED OVERTIME WORK IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986, THE FIGURE HAD INCREASED TO 109 000, HE SAID.

EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE QUERIES ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE REGULATIONS MAY APPROACH THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS DIVISION OFFICE IN THEIR DISTRICT.

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