. 11.
Mrs Chan said after the two-hour meeting ended at about 7.25 pm that good progress had been made during the meeting.
"Both parties agreed to continue their discussions on improving employees' retirement benefits," she said.
"The staff side indicated that they would actively consider suspending their planned industrial action," she added.
The Special Conciliation Officer commented that today's meeting was conducted in a harmonious and sincere atmosphere and both parties were co-operative.
She said the management and staff representatives agreed to attend a conciliation meeting again on or before October 18 (Friday) as they needed more time to study the retirement benefit issue.
End
Technical talks in Hanoi on Vietnamese migrants
Technical talks were held today (Thursday) between officials of the Hong Kong and Vietnamese Governments to discuss ways of accelerating the repatriation of the remaining Vietnamese migrant (VM) population in the territory, a Government spokesman said.
The British Embassy in Hanoi and UNHCR were also represented at the meeting.
The spokesman said that officials noted the increased pace of repatriation this year. Over 9,000 VMs had returned home so far in 1996 as compared to about 2,600 in the whole of 1995.
"The meeting explored various options for expediting the clearance of the 4,000 VMs who had not yet been accepted back by Hanoi.
"It was agreed that further exchanges should take place on this issue," he said.
The Vietnamese authorities gave unequivocal assurances of co-operation in stemming the flow of illegal emigration to Hong Kong and in accelerating the clearance for return of those who had recently arrived in the territory. They also agreed to a streamlining of procedures relating to the deportation of VMs who commit crimes in Hong Kong.
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