XN000022-1993-01-18 — Page 8

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1993

LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD ENDORSES CHANGES TO WORK SAFETY LAW

* *

THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD (LAB) THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON ENDORSED A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE UNDER WHICH AN ENABLING CLAUSE WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LAW TO EMPOWER THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR TO ISSUE CODES OF PRACTICE FOR ENSURING SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK.

WAS

AT ITS FIRST MEETING FOR THE 1993/95 TERM, THE BOARD BRIEFED THAT THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO SAFETY AND HEALTH LEGISLATION IS BASED ON AN EXTENSIVE SYSTEM OF DETAILED STATUTORY PROVISIONS, RESULTING IN 26 SETS OF SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION UNDER THE ORDINANCE.

BY USING CODES OF PRACTICE TO PROVIDE DETAILED STANDARDS, SPECIFICATION AND GUIDELINES IN SIMPLE LAYMAN TERMS WILL RENDER THE PROCESS SIMPLER AND FASTER.

NEW LAB.

MEMBERS AGREED ON THE COMPOSITION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE THEY ALSO AGREED THE COMPOSITION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE BOARD'S FIVE COMMITTEES ON EMPLOYEES J COMPENSATION, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, LABOUR RELATIONS, INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND HEALTH, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS.

MRS

DURING THE MEETING CHAIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, KATHERINE FOK,

THE BOARD AGREED TO SEND A DELEGATION TO ATTEND THE 80TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE SCHEDULED OPENING IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, ON JUNE 2 THIS YEAR.

FOR

A PROGRESS REPORT ON LABOUR LEGISLATION COVERING THE PERIOD BETWEEN JANUARY 1991 AND DECEMBER 1992 WAS TABLED FOR EXAMINATION.

MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE PREVIOUS BOARD WAS CONSULTED ON A TOTAL OF 24 ITEMS OF PROPOSED LABOUR LEGISLATION. OF THESE, SEVEN HAVE BEEN ENACTED WHILE ACTION IS IN PROGRESS ON THE OTHERS.

THE BOARD THEN NOTED A LIST OF PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE ITEMS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO BE REFERRED TO MEMBERS FOR ADVICE THIS YEAR.

MEMBERS ALSO DISCUSSED ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO PUT FORWARD SUGGESTIONS FOR INCLUSION ON THE AGENDA OF FUTURE MEETINGS.

DURING THE MEETING, MRS FOR BRIEFED MEMBERS THE LATEST ALLOCATION OF QUOTAS TO INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES TO BRING IN 13,000 IMPORTED WORKERS UNDER THE GENERAL LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEME.

THE LABOUR COMMISSIONER ALSO BRIEFED LAB MEMBERS THAT WITH THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THAT THE CEILING OF IMPORTED WORKERS PERMITTED TO WORK IN HONG KONG AT ANY ONE TIME UNDER THE SPECIAL LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEME FOR THE NEW AIRPORT AND RELATED PROJECTS SHOULD BE SKI AT 5,500 TO OVER PROJECTS WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMMITTED.

/MRS FOR