XN000022-1986-08-03 — Page 4

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 1986

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INSOLVENCY FUND MEETING MAJORITY OF WAGE CLAIMS

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THE EXISTING PREFERENTIAL LIMIT OF $8 000 IN RESPECT OF WAGE CLAIMS NOT EXCEEDING FOUR MONTHS IS PROVIDING ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR MOST EMPLOYEES.

THIS WAS STATED IN THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PROTECTION OF WAGES ON INSOLVENCY FUND PUBLISHED RECENTLY.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, 8 159 APPLICANTS FOR EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS WERE RECEIVED FROM EMPLOYEES OF 321 INSOLVENCY CASES DURING THE 12-MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH THIS YEAR.

OF THESE, ONLY 50 APPLICANTS WERE OWED WAGES OF MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS WHILE 6 809 WERE OWED WAGES OF ONE MONTH, 1 047 UP TO TWO MONTHS, 184 UP TO THREE MONTHS AND 69 UP TO FOUR MONTHS.

AS FOR WAGE CLAIMS, 6732 CASES WERE BELOW THE LEVEL OF $4 000, 671 CASES BETWEEN $4 001 AND $6 000, 309 CASES BETWEEN $6 001 AND $8 000, AND 447 CASES ABOVE THE PREFERENTIAL LIMIT OF $8 000.

THE REPORT NOTED THAT BY MARCH 31, 1986, 5 890 APPLICANTS WERE PAID $13.5 MILLION. IN FACT, IT POINTED OUT, PROMPT PAYMENTS COULD BE EFFECTED IF DETAILED AND UP-TO-DATE WAGE AND EMPLOYMENT RECORDS WERE KEPT BY INSOLVENT EMPLOYERS AND MADE READILY AVAILABLE FOR VERIFICATION BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT,

UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, EMPLOYERS ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP AND MAINTAIN A RECORD AT ALL TIMES SETTING OUT THE WAGE AND EMPLOYMENT PARTICULARS OF EACH WORKER EITHER AT THE EMPLOYER'S PLACE OF BUSINESS OR AT THE PLACE WHERE THE WORKER IS EMPLOYED.

IT SHOULD CONTAIN SUCH INFORMATION AS THE WORKER'S NAME IDENTITY CARD NUMBER, JOB TITLE, WAGES PAID TO HIM, WAGE PERIOD, AMOUNT OF END OF YEAR PAYMENT, NOTICE PERIOD AND DATES OF COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

THE RECORD SHOULD COVER THE PERIOD OF THE WORKER'S EMPLOYMENT DURING THE PRECEDING SIX MONTHS AND MUST ALSO BE RETAINED FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS AFTER THE WORKER CEASES TO BE EMPLOYED.

ANOTHER FEATURE OF THE REPORT SHOWED THAT OF THE 8 159 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, 2 890 WERE FILED BY WORKERS IN THE ELECTRICAL MACHINERY-APPLIANCES INDUSTRY, 2 239 IN RESTAURANTS-HOTELS, 1 617 IN THE CLOTHING-TEXTILES INDUSTRY, 296 IN THE WHOLESALE-RETAIL AND IMPORT-EXPORT TRADES, AND 229 IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

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THE REPORT