XN000022-1994-08-16 — Page 8

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1994

LABOUR DEPARTMENT WELCOMES CLEARER MESSAGE ON WORK ARRANGEMENTS IN RAINSTORMS

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HO,

IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES ON THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE USED WHEN THE RAINSTORM BLACK WARNING IS IN THE ACTING ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR HOUDINI (TUESDAY) WELCOMES THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS IT PROVIDES A CLEARER TO BOTH THE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ON WORK ARRANGEMENTS.

PUBLIC FORCE,

TODAY MESSAGE

THE NEW PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT READS "THE RAINSTORM IS NOW BLACK. THIS MEANS THAT MORE THAN 100 MM OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN GENERALLY OVER HONG KONG DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS (OR LESS).

"BECAUSE OF SERIOUSLY FLOODED ROADS AND INCLEMENT WEATHER,

YOU ARE ADVISED TO TAKE SHELTER IN A SAFE PLACE AND STAY THERE.

"EMPLOYERS ARE ADVISED NOT TO REQUIRE THEIR EMPLOYEES TO GO TO WORK UNLESS PRIOR AGREEMENT ON WORK ARRANGEMENTS DURING RAINSTORM HAS BEEN MADE.

"IF YOU ARE ALREADY AT WORK, STAY WHERE YOU ARE UNLESS IT IS DANGEROUS TO DO SO. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL UNTIL THE BLACK RAINSTORM WARNING IS NO LONGER IN FORCE AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED.

"PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR RADIO FOR FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE

RAINSTORM.

H

MR HO SAID: "AS EMPLOYEES' SAFETY IS THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE DEPARTMENT, IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO ADVISE EMPLOYERS NOT TO REQUIRE THEIR EMPLOYEES TO GO TO WORK UNLESS PRIOR AGREEMENT ON WORK ARRANGEMENTS DURING RAINSTORM HAS BEEN MADE.

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HE POINTED OUT THAT OWING TO THE DIVERSITY IN NATURE AND REQUIREMENTS OF JOB IN VARIOUS TRADES AND INDUSTRIES, STATUTORY REGULATIONS OF WORK ARRANGEMENTS IN TIMES OF RAINSTORMS WOULD NOT PRACTICABLE.

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"THEREFORE, EMPLOYERS REQUIRING EMPLOYEES TO WORK DURING RAINSTORMS ARE URGED TO REACH PRIOR AGREEMENT AND DUE CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO EMPLOYEES' SAFETY IN WORKPLACE AS WELL AS THEIR JOURNEY TO AND FROM WORK.

"SUCH A REQUIREMENT

THE

SHOULD BE CLEARLY STATED BEFORE EMPLOYMENT COMMENCES OR SUFFICIENT NOTICE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYEES, HE SAID.

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MR HO POINTED OUT THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD PUBLISHED A BILINGUAL BOOKLET ENTITLED "CODE OF PRACTICE IN TIMES OF TYPHOONS AND RAINSTORMS". IT SERVES AS A REFERENCE GUIDE TO FACILITATE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO MAKE EARLY WORK ARRANGEMENTS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.

A TOTAL OF 28,000 COPIES, OF THE CODE OF PRACTICE HAVE BEEN SENT TO EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES' ORGANISATIONS ADVISING THEM OF THE NEED FOR SUCH AGREEMENT.

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