XN000022-1987-05-13 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987

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EMPLOYERS NOT GIVEN CREDIT FOR WHAT HAD BEEN DONE

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INDUSTRIALISTS IN HONG KONG ARE GENERALLY MUCH MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO LOOK AFTER THEIR EMPLOYEES THAN THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN CREDIT FOR, THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG SAID DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REFERRING TO CERTAIN ALLEGATIONS THAT INDUSTRIALISTS' UNFAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO THE SETTING UP OF THE FUND HAD BEEN DUE TO SELF-INTEREST AND THAT EMPLOYERS WERE BY AND LARGE INSENSITIVE TO THE WELFARE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, MR CHEONG SAID HE WANTED TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

HE STRESSED THAT INDUSTRIALISTS WERE NOT AGAINST PROVISION OF BENEFITS TO THE WORKFORCE PER SE. THEY WERE SIMPLY ANXIOUS THAT NO LEGISLATION SHOULD BE PUSHED AND IMPOSED WITHOUT CAREFUL EXAMINATION AND CONSIDERATION OF THE ADVERSE IMPACTS, IF ANY, ON HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, HE SAID.

MR CHEONG POINTED OUT THAT MOST TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS DID SUPPORT EFFORTS IN THE QUEST FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TO THE WORKING CONDITION OF THE WORKFORCE.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, IT WAS INDUSTRIALISTS' VIEW THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT ANY PROVIDENT FUND SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON TOP OF THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT BENEFITS.

+THE REALITY OF HONG KONG ENTERPRISE HAVING TO COMPETE IN THE WORLD MARKETS AGAINST OTHER COUNTRIES MUST BE RECOGNISED,+ HE WARNED.

MR CHEONG POINTED OUT THAT SINCE OVER 80 PER CENT OF THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN HONG KONG WERE MADE UP OF SMALL-SIZE BUSINESSES EMPLOYING LESS THAN 20 PERSONS PER ESTABLISHMENT IMPACT AND IMPLICATION OF ANY IMPOSED COMPULSORY SCHEME WHICH WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CONTINUED VIABILITY OF THESE SMALL ENTERPRISES NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY.

THE

HE NOTED THAT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS COLLECTIVELY EMPLOYED A TOTAL OF 640 000 PEOPLE.

IF, AS BEING SUGGESTED BY SOME THAT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS BE ALLOWED TO BE EXEMPTED FROM ANY COMPULSLORY SCHEMES, HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY ANSWER TO NEARLY 30 PER CENT OF OUR WORKING POPULATION,+ HE ASKED. ADDING THAT THESE WERE POSSIBLY THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEEDED HELP IN THE YEARS TO COME.

MR CHEONG SAID THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD LATELY FELT THAT THE ISSUE HAD BEEN PUSHED TO THE FOREFRONT BY ACTIVISTS DEPLOYING TACTICS THAT INVARIABLY INVOKED THE SO-CALLED +WISHES OF THE PEOPLE+.

/BE FELT