XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBEİ 19, 1986

ON THE MANPOWER SITUATION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE, MR HUI SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS SO AS TO INCREASE ITS STRENGTH TO 250.

HE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 250 FACTORY INSPECTORS BY 1984. HOWEVER THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS HAD BEEN FROZEN AT 200 SINCE 1982.

FURTHERMORE, ONLY 150 OF THEM WERE ENGAGED IN FACTORY INSPECTION WORK, HE SAID.

TURNING TO PENALTIES, MR HUI SAID HONG KONG SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF ADVANCED COUNTRIES IN HAVING OFFENDERS BEAR THE +CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN SENTENCING THEM TO JAIL, INSTEAD OF IMPOSING A MAXIMUM FINE OF $50 000, IN APPROPRIATE CASES.

HE SAID A MINIMUM FINE SHOULD ALSO BE SET SO THAT EMPLOYERS WOULD REALISE THAT IGNORING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY MIGHT LEAD TO GREATER EXPENDITURE.

MR HUI REBUTTED SUGGESTIONS THAT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WORKERS.

HE NOTED THAT AS THERE WAS NO EXISTING LEGISLATION SAFEGUARDING WORKERS FROM UNFAIR DISMISSAL OR OFFERING THEM ANY PENSION SCHEME, WORKERS OFTEN HAD TO THINK TWICE BEFORE ACCUSING THE EMPLOYERS OF VIOLATING REGULATIONS.

+1 HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL NOT JUST STAY IN THE STAGE OF DISCUSSING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, BUT GO FURTHER TO MONITOR CLOSELY THE WORK OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHETHER ENOUGH EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE ENACTMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF LEGISLATION, AS WELL AS PUBLIC EDUCATION,+ MR HUI SAID,

+SINCE WORKERS ARE THE MAINSTAY FOR CREATING HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY ATTACHING IMPORTANCE TO THE SAFETY OF WORKERS MEANS VALUING THE SOLE RESOURCE OF HONG KONG - THE WORKFORCE,

0

HE ADDED.

LONG-TERM INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN URGED

*****

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH COUNCIL TO CO-ORDINATE ACTIVITIES AND TO PROMOTE POSITIVELY A LONG-TERM CAMPAIGN ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WAS ADVOCATED BY THE HON NGAI SHIU-KIT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY MR NGAI RECALLED THAT IN 1976 THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION HAD URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH SUCH A SAFETY COUNCIL WITH MEMBERSHIP COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR TO TACKLE THE +OVERWHELMING+ NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.

/+S

+45 RECARDS ...