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Heavy penalties for offenders of labour laws in 1996
There were 4,438 convicted cases in 1996 relating to employers breaching labour laws, according to figures released by the Labour Department today (Sunday).
These convictions resulted in a total fine of $10.1 million, representing an increase of 21 per cent compared with the figure in 1995.
Acting Senior Labour Officer (Prosecutions), Mrs Tonia Leung, said today that the department would continue to protect employee rights and benefits by prosecuting employers who did not abide by the labour laws.
"Employers should take the statutory provisions seriously. Otherwise, they will face prosecutions and have to pay heavy penalties for their malpractices," she said.
Among the convicted cases in 1996, 79.5 per cent were relating to the violation of the Employment Ordinance (EO) and its subsidiary regulations. The largest share of offences involved the failure to comply with provisions on statutory holidays and restrictions imposed on working hours of women and young employees in industrial employment.
"In recent years, the department has stepped up prosecutions against offences involving payment of wages. Employers should make sure that wages are paid not later than seven days after the due date. They will be prosecuted for violating this provision without a reasonable cause," said Mrs Leung.
A record high penalty of nearly $500,000 was imposed on a company in 1996 for not paying wages to imported workers within the prescribed statutory time limits and not granting a statutory holiday as provided under the EO.
In 1996, 120 cases of wages offences were convicted, showing a 100 per cent increase as compared with the figure in 1995. Also, the average fine for such offences also rose from $7,500 in 1995 to $13,000 in 1996, representing an increase by 73 per
cent.
Mrs Leung also reminded employers that pregnant employees were protected from dismissals without justifiable causes.
In 1996, 13 employers were convicted for breaching provisions on maternity protection. In one of these cases, the fine imposed was as high as $30,000 plus $3,000
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