XN000022-1990-12-05 — Page 18

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"ON MOST OF THESE SUBJECTS, THE TALKS HAVE THERE HAS BEEN NO MOVEMENT FROM ENTRENCHED POSITIONS MAJOR AREAS.

BEEN

IN

USEFUL,

BUT

ANY OF THE

NEGOTIATIONS

"IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED AMONG DELEGATIONS THAT THE ON AGRICULTURE WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE ROUND AND INDEED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MINISTERIAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE HAS SAID THAT THE PROCESS NOW STANDS BLOCKED.

"THE CHAIRMAN ALSO SAID BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE NEXT 24

THAT *THERE SHOULD BE

SUBSTANTIAL

HOURS IN A NUMBER OF KEY AREAS, INCLUDING, IN PARTICULAR, AGRICULTURE, IF THE MEETING IS TO RND WITH A PACKAGE OF RESULTS TRULY MEANINGFUL FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS NEGOTIATIONS' MR CHAN SAID.

+

MR CHAN ADDED THAT THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WOULD BR

IN THESE

INVOLVED

IN VERY TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS IN ORDER TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE GENERAL IMPASSE.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG DELEGATION INCLUDE THE CHAU TAK-HAY; HONG KONG'S PERMANENT KEITH BROADBRIDGE; AND OTHER HONG

DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, REPRESENTATIVE TO THE GATT, KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

MR

MR

0

+

FEWER INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN MOST TRADES

THE UPWARD TREND OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN MOST TRADES HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF CURB IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR.

DEPARTMENT FATALITIES

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE LABOUR TODAY (WEDNESDAY), 31,244 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WITH 55 WERE REPORTED BETWEEN JANUARY AND SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR. (NOTE: AN "ACCIDENT" REFERS TO A CASE INVOLVING ONE INJURED PERSON OR ONE DEATH)

11

"THIS REPRESENTS A DROP OF FOUR PER CENT FROM THE 32,513 ACCIDENTS WITH 61 DEATHS RECORDED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, MR YIP YUK-LUN, SAID.

MR YIP EXPLAINED THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECREASE WAS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, WHICH SAW A DROP OF 11 PER CENT то 13,031 ACCIDENTS WITH SIX FATALITIES, FOLLOWED BY A TWO PER CENT FALL TO 3,122 ACCIDENTS AND SIX FATALITIES IN THE MINING, QUARRYING, UTILITIES, TRANSPORT AND SERVICING INDUSTRIES.

"IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, THE GREATEST DECREASE WAS IN THE WEARING APPAREL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES, DOWN RESPECTIVELY FROM 2,256 TO 1,872 ACCIDENTS AND FROM 693 TO 592 ACCIDENTS, WHILE THE FIGURE FOR THE SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIRING INDUSTRY HAS GONE UP FROM 496 TO 573 ACCIDENTS," HE NOTED.

/HOWEVER, MR