XN000022-1995-10-25 — Page 34

24

-

(a) increase the establishment of inspectors in the Labour Department to monitor the employment of imported workers, and deploy interpreters of various nationalities to cope with communication problems with the imported workers;

(b) conduct an overall review of the system for monitoring the Labour Importation Scheme in order to plug the loopholes, having regard to the various forms of exploitation which have been brought to light, such as deduction of wages through secret deals, withholding of passports, deduction of part of the wages through autopay, changing of job nature, suppression of complaints and so on; and

(c) consider abolishing the relevant labour importation policy since the wage- deduction incident has indicated that some employers or employment agencies have brought in low-wage workers, thereby taking away employment opportunities from local workers and holding down wages?

Reply:

Mr President,

(a) The Labour Department has about 60 staff responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of the labour importation schemes. To strengthen such efforts, we have earmarked $2.2 million to increase the staffing of the Department in 1996/97. The Department will also improve the effectiveness of its policing efforts through suitable internal deployment of manpower resources. To facilitate communication with imported workers in the event of labour disputes, the Labour Department will ensure that qualified interpreters are present, whenever the situation warrants.

(b) We conduct regular reviews on the monitoring system of the labour importation schemes to ensure that the various safeguards continue to be effective. Additional terms and conditions have been imposed on employers of imported workers under the ACP Scheme to further strengthen these safeguards following the recent 'incidents involving complaints from Thai workers. They include the requirements to grant imported workers paid leave to attend briefings on their employment rights organised by the Labour Department, to distribute a copy of the employment contract to the imported workers, to provide wage records and monthly bank statements to imported workers. We have also made it clear that employers should not keep the passports and bank books of the imported workers.