XN000022-1994-11-03 — Page 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1994

MR PANG CHUN-HOI

THE

MR PRESIDENT, IN THE OCTOBER LEGCO QUESTION TIME, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT INTEND TO EXPAND THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR, NEVERTHELESS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, RECENTLY IN BEIJING TALKED SAYING TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING RELAXING THE IMPORTATION OF MAINLAND PROFESSIONALS AND EXPANDING THE LIST OF KEY MAINLAND UNIVERSITIES AND ALSO FURTHER IMPORTING NON-SKILLED WORKERS TO ADDRESS THIS NEEDS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT. CAN THE GOVERNOR INFORM COUNCIL WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WILL DISREGARD THE STRONG OPPOSITION OF THE LABOUR SECTOR IN FURTHER RELAXING THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR, AND SECONDLY, WHY IS IT THAT THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES WITHIN THE MONTH, IN WHAT THE SENIOR HONG KONG OFFICIALS SAID AND WHAT THE GOVERNOR

WHAT SAID.

THE ARE THE REASONS FOR THAT, I HOPE THAT

CAN GOVERNOR

ANSWER THIS.

GOVERNOR :

THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS UNDER PRESSURE FROM EMPLOYERS, AND EMPLOYERS ORGANISATIONS BY AND LARGE TO OPERATE MORE LIBERAL, MORE OPEN POLICIES IN RELATION TO THE WORKFORCE AND ALLOWING MORE PEOPLE TO WORK HERE IN ΤΟ HONG KONG, JUST AS WE ARE UNDER PRESSURE FROM LABOUR ORGANISATIONS BE MORE RESTRICTIVE IN THOSE THAT WE ALLOW TO COME AND WORK HERE IN HONG KONG. WE DO HAVE A VERY TIGHT LABOUR MARKET ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW LEVEL OF UNEMPLOYMENT HERE IN HONG KONG, ABOUT 2.3% IN COMPARISON WITH THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN OUR ECONOMY, BY AND LARGE, THE NUMBER OF THOSE UNEMPLOYED HAS RUN AT NOT MUCH MORE THAN 50% OF THE PUBLISHED HAS VACANCIES, SO THERE IS A REAL I THINK, SUPPLY CONSTRAINT THERE OR SOMETIMES BEEN IN THE PAST. I WOULD ADD THAT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE

OR FINDING WAYS OF COPING WITH THAT IN THE LAST YEAR BEEN

TWO WITHOUT AS A CONSEQUENCE DOING WHAT MANY REPRESENTATIVES OF LABOUR ON FEAR, EITHER ON THE ONE HAND DRIVING DOWN WAGES, OR

THIS THE OTHER HAND DRIVING PEOPLE OUT OF WORK. IN THE FIRST HALF OF YEAR THE TOTAL LABOUR SUPPLY IN OUR ECONOMY GREW BY ABOUT THREE AND A HALF PER CENT, LAST YEAR IT GREW BY I THINK 2.9%, AND AT THE SAME TIME RETAINED LOW UNEMPLOYEMENT AND I THINK SAW A STEADY GROWTH IN NET DISPOSABLE INCOME, SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO COPE WITH PRESSURES, BETTER THAN PERHAPS BOTH

AND LABOUR ORGANISATIONS HAVE SUGGESTED,

ORGANISATIONS

EMPLOYERS

/MATTERS WHICH