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This section stipulates that wages shall become due on the expiry of the last day of the wage period and shall be paid as soon as practicable but in any case not later than seven days thereafter. The maximum penalty for each offence is $200,000 and imprisonment for one year.
Eight other summonses issued under Section 39 of the same ordinance were also served on the same contractor for suspected of not granting to the Thai workers a statutory holiday on September 9 last year which is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
This section stipulates that all employees, irrespective of their wage levels, are entitled to statutory holidays and should be paid for the day off if they have worked continuously for the same employer for three months or longer immediately before the statutory holiday.
The maximum fine provided by this section has been revised substantially from $10,000 to $50,000 after the Employment (Amendment) (No 4) Bill was approved by the Legislative Council on December 6, 1995.
The approved amendment legislation was gazetted and became effective on December 15 last year.
The 20 summonses will be presented for hearing in the Western Magistracy on March 1.
A Labour Department spokesman said the prosecution was resulted from in- depth investigations into a number of complaints referred to the department's Importation of Workers Division by the Royal Thai Consulate General last October.
"We are still investigating several other cases involving late payment of wages
to imported workers working in the new airport and related projects.
"Legal action will be taken if we have sufficient evidence and upon obtaining instructions from the Attorney General," the spokesman added.
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