XN000022-1993-03-31 — Page 38

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993

WAS

AS REGARDS WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLING, MR CHAN REITERATED THAT IT GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO ENCOURAGE EXISTING BISESSIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHICH COULD TURN WHOLE DAY TO DO SO, BY PROVIDING THEM WITH ADDITIONAL TEACHERS AND BETTER SENIOR TEACHER RATIOS.

"WE

HAVE ALSO UNDERTAKEN TO OPERATE NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHOLE DAY BASIS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

ON A

"BUT WE CONTINUE TO THINK THAT IT WOULD NOT BE REALISTIC TO COMMIT OURSELVES AT THIS JUNCTURE TO A FIRM TIMETABLE FOR FULL SCALE CONVERSION," HE SAID.

TURNING TO EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME, MR CHAN SAID AS A LONG TIME STRATEGY, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK TO UPGRADE THE SKILLS OF LOCAL WORKERS SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE UP THE BETTER PAID JOBS.

"THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT WE HAVE BEEN AIMING TO ACHIEVE THROUGH EXPANDING OUR EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

THE EMPLOYEES RETRAINING BOARD HAS ALSO DECIDED TO LAUNCH A NEW SCHEME UNDER WHICH PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS WOULD ENGAGE THE RETRAINEES AND GIVE THEM ON THE JOB TRAINING."

THE BOARD WOULD PAY THE RETRAINEES AN ALLOWANCE FOR A SPECIFIED PERIOD AND THE EMPLOYERS WOULD MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ALLOWANCE AND THE APPROPRIATE MARKET WAGE.

MR CHAN BELIEVED THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD ENCOURAGE THE EMPLOYERS AND THE RETRAINEES TO STAY ON WITH EACH OTHER AFTER RETRAINING.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT EVEN WITH GREATLY EXPANDED

THE RETRAINING,

GOVERNMENT WAS LIKELY ΤΟ HAVE

то TO CONTINUE SUPPLEMENT THE LOCAL LABOUR SUPPLY FROM OUTSIDE TO PROVIDE SCOPE FOR FURTHER ECONOMIC GROWTH.

IT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LABOUR MARKET SITUATION CLOSELY AND ADJUST THE LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEMES AS APPROPRIATE AS WELL AS TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO SAFEGUARD THE INTEREST OF LOCAL WORKERS.

TURNING TO COMPENSATION TO PNEUMOCONIOSIS SUFFERERS DIAGNOSED BEFORE AND AFTER 1981 ALIKE, MR CHAN EXPLAINED THAT WHEN COMPENSATION FOR PNEUMOCONIOSIS WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1980, A CONSCIOUS DECISION WAS TAKEN TO LIMIT ITS COVER ONLY TO SUFFERERS DIAGNOSED AFTER JANUARY 1, 1981.

I'T WAS DECIDED ON THE BASIS OF A LEVY ON THE INDUSTRIES MOST DIRECTLY CONCERNED,

THOSE DIAGNOSED BEFORE 1981 RECEIVED AN ONE-OFF EX-GRATIA PAYMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

HE THEREFORE,

SAID:

"WE ARE NOW DRAFTING

то LEGISLATION IMPROVE THE COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS UNDER THE ORDINANCE BUT WE CANNOT EXTEND THOSE ARRANGEMENTS TO PRE-1981 CASES.

"IN PROPOSING