XN000022-1989-03-16 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1989

VISIT,

MR HSU

AT

AFTER THE JUNK BAY

ALSO TOOK A LOOK DEVELOPMENT AT HANG HAU TOWN, AND AT THE WORK IN REDUCING POLLUTION IN THE HO CHUNG RIVER IN THE DISTRICT.

MR HSU'S NEXT STOP WAS SAI KUNG TOWN, WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED ON IMPROVEMENT WORKS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA.

BEFORE CONCLUDING HIS VISIT, MR HSU MET MEMBERS OR THE KUNG DISTRICT BOARD AT A LUNCH.

SAI

AT THE LUNCH, HE LEARNED THAT THE BOARD WAS NOW WELL ESTABLISHED AND WAS FULLY ACCEPTED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT BODY FOR DISCUSSING DISTRICT MATTERS AND RESOLVING PROBLEMS,

ALTHOUGH HAVING ONLY 12 MEMBERS NOW, THE BOARD WOULD INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP AS THE POPULATION IN SAI KUNG GREW, MR HBU WAS TOLD.

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FINDINGS OF 1988 ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY MANPOWER SURVEY RELEASED

*

HAVE

ALTHOUGH MANY MANUFACTURERS FACILITIES TO CHINA OVER THE LAST TWO ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY STILL HAVE DIFFICULTY WORKERS TO MEET THEIR MANPOWER NEEDS.

SHIFTED THEIR PRODUCTION YEARS, EMPLOYERS IN THE IN RECRUITING SUFFICIENT

ON

ACCORDING TO THE JUST PUBLISHED 1988 MANPOWER SURVEY REPORT THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY, THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF 15,000 WORKERS IN THE INDUSTRY IN JUNE LAST YEAR, WITH 12,000 AT THE OPERATIVE LEVEL.

THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, WHICH CONDUCTED THE SURVEY, SAID IN THE REPORT THAT IF THIS SHORTAGE PERSISTED, MORE PRODUCTION PLANTS WOULD BE SHIFTED TO CHINA AND PROBABLY ALSO TO THAILAND IN THE COMING YEARS.

THE SURVEY FOUND THAT THE TOTAL WORKFORCE IN THE INDUSTRY HAD RISEN BY 3.6 PER CENT A YEAR FROM AROUND 93,000 IN 1986 TO AROUND 100,000 IN 1988.

AS THE INDUSTRY GOES UPMARKET, AND WITH THE EXPANSION IN THE CLOCKS AND WATCHES SECTORS AND INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN AUTOMATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE INDUSTRY SHOULD CONTINUE TO GROW STEADILY AND HAVE A CONTINUING DEMAND FOR TECHNICAL MANPOWER AT ALL LEVELS, THE REPORT NOTED.

EMPLOYERS FORECAST THAT IN MAY THIS YEAR THE MANPOWER FOR THE WHOLE INDUSTRY WOULD REACH 115,000, 60 PER CENT OF WHICH SHOULD BE AT THE OPERATIVE LEVEL.

THE TRAINING