XN000022-1996-07-30 — Page 3

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Twenty-four Hong Kong companies were alleged to be involved. The EC conducted on-the-spot investigation on four Hong Kong companies in January this

year.

Hong Kong held a round of informal bilateral consultations with the EC in February this year and issued a detailed representation in March to the EC to raise our strong principled objection to the EC's anti-circumvention actions and request termination of the case against Hong Kong.

End

New initiative to improve construction site safety

The Government is further upgrading construction site safety by providing more incentive for workers at Government work sites to attend safety training.

The Works Branch in conjunction with the Education and Manpower Branch have agreed to upgrade a basic site safety induction training session organised by the HK Construction Association into a full-day course for workers at Government construction sites.

A Works Branch spokesman said: "The course aims to make workers more aware of the potential safety hazards at a construction site and the dire consequences if the proper procedures are not followed.

"We will also make them understand that both the workers and the employers have responsibilities to observe all safety rules and regulations set out in the law.

"In order to enable workers to benefit from this training programme as early as possible, the Education and Manpower Branch has made available fund to reimburse the workers engaged in public works for the one-day wages lost in attending the

course.

"We have also decided to include the course in the Pay for Safety Scheme in Government contracts to be tendered from September where contractors will be paid specifically for arranging the safety training."