XN000022-1993-03-01 — Page 6

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1993

TO EMPLOYEES WHO ON

HAD

OR

AFTER

MR CHAN SAID THE AMENDMENT WOULD APPLY THEIR EMPLOYMENT TERMINATED BY THEIR EMPLOYERS FEBRUARY 26.

ON

"FOR EXAMPLE, AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS HIS EMPLOYMENT TERMINATED OR AFTER FEBRUARY 26 AND WAS OWED WAGES OF $10,000 BY HIS EMPLOYER THE PROTECTION WILL NOW BE FULLY COVERED BY THE EX-GRATIA PAYMENT BY OF WAGES ON INSOLVENCY FUND, HE SAID.

"

OF

BEFORE THE ENACTMENT OF THE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE, THE EMPLOYEE

IN RESPECT OF ARREARS WAS ONLY ENTITLED TO A MAXIMUM OF $8,000 WAGES.

11

NOW BE

AS REGARDS WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE, AN APPLICANT WILL

IF HIS GIVEN EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE FROM ONE MONTH'S WAGES UP TO $6,000 HIS EMPLOYMENT IS TERMINATED BY

EMPLOYER

OF INSTEAD

THE PREVIOUS SEVEN DAYS' WAGES UP TO $2,000, MR CHAN ADDED.

"

ENQUIRIES CAN BE MADE TO THE WAGE SECURITY UNIT OF DEPARTMENT ON TEL 834 6037.

THE LABOUR

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

* *

*

+

THE QUALITY OF AT LEAST THREE AREAS OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, YOUTH AT RISK

FAMILY

WILL BE

IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE COMING YEAR, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR IAN STRACHAN, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE 1993/94 BUDGET, MR STRACHAN SAID HE HAD HEARD CRITICISM THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS PUTTING ALL ITS MONEY INTO INCREASING THE QUANTITY OF SERVICE IN SOCIAL WELFARE BUT THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE INCREASES IN QUALITY,

HE STRESSED THAT WHILE TRYING VERY HARD TO MEET THE AMBITIOUS TARGETS IN SOCIAL WELFARE AS SET BY THE GOVERNOR LAST OCTOBER, THE QUALITY OF SERVICES MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED.

HE SAID THERE WOULD BE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE QUALITY OF MANY SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES. HE GAVE THREE EXAMPLES.

ELDERLY SINGLE PEOPLE, WHO ARE THE LARGEST NUMBER

OF RECIPIENTS UNDER THE EXISTING SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME. WILL GET AN INCREASE IN REAL TERMS OF BETWEEN 10 PER CENT AND 15 PER CENT AND FOR FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS ABLE BODIED, THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE OF 32 PER CENT.

LEAST WORKERS

**IN THE AREA OF YOUTH AT RISK THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE 19 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF PROHAT LON OFFICERS AND

IN THE PROBATION SERVICE.

OF AT SOCIAL

"THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL, SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THE COMING YEAR WILL ALSO BE INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT," HE SAID.

/MR STRACHAN