XN000022-1993-07-07 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1993

"WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE RECKLESSNESS CULTURE WITH A SAFETY CULTURE. WE NEED A GENERAL RECOGNITION THAT WORKERS OWE THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR WORKMATES, A DUTY OF CARE."

DURING THE MEETING, MR PATTEN DESCRIBED THE GOVERNMENT'S GENERAL EFFORT TO IMPROVE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

HE ALSO EXPLAINED THE URGENT STEPS FOLLOWING THE JAVA ROAD ACCIDENT ON JUNE 2.

WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKEN

MR PATTEN ASKED THE TRADE UNION LEADERS THREE QUESTIONS:

WHAT CAN THE UNIONS DO TO CHANGE WORKERS' ATTITUDES TO SAFETY?

WHAT ACTION WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE CONTRACTORS AND SUB- CONTRACTORS TAKE ON CONSTRUCTION SITES?

WHAT FURTHER ACTION CAN THE GOVERNMENT TAKE?

THE GOVERNOR SAID HE FOUND THE MEETING VERY HELPFUL AND REPEATED HIS PLEDGE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WORK WITH THE UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS ΤΟ BRING ABOUT AN IMPROVEMENT IN HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL SAFETY RECORD.

DEMAND REMAINS STRONG IN PORT CONTAINER THROUGHPUT

HONG KONG'S OVERALL CONTAINER THROUGHPUT FOR THIS YEAR IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO GROW FROM A RECORD BASELINE OF 7.97 MILLION TEU'S (TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS) LAST YEAR, AT PERCENTAGES IN EXCESS OF THE 14 PER CENT CONTAINER TERMINAL TRIGGERING MECHANISM FIGURE, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR. IAN DALE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

ANNOUNCING THE LATEST CONTAINER THROUGHPUT STATISTICS FOR THIS YEAR, MR DALE SAID: "HONG KONG HANDLED A TOTAL OF 2,651,808 TEU'S DURING THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS, REPRESENTING A 19 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.'

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WHILST THIS IS LESS THAN THE HUGE 29 PER CENT INCREASE THE PORT EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR, WHICH AGAIN PUT HONG KONG AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD LEAGUE TABLE, IT CLEARLY SHOWS A STEADY GROWTH OVER FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR AND UNDERLINES THE CONTINUING DEMAND HONG KONG'S MODERN AND EFFICIENT CONTAINER-HANDLING FACILITIES, SAID.

THE

FOR

HE

CONTAINER-HANDLING IN THE STREAM CONTINUES то SHOW STRONG DEMAND, EQUALLING THE OVERALL THROUGHPUT INCREASE OF 19 PER CENT.

/RIVER TRADE