TNAG-0531-FCO40-626-Application-of-International-Labour-Convention-to-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 216

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The seminar also discussed the problems arising from the parallel existence of similar schemes of social security for different categories of workers, particularly one for workers in the private sector and another for

government employees. Some participants were in favour of a single and universal scheme covering all workers, whereas others pointed out the difference in the treatment of workers as between the public and private sectors.

The further discussions on the employment of money accumulated under social security schemes again led the seminar to the examination of the difference between provident fund schemes and pension insurance schemes, with particular reference to the allocation of interest earned by the investment of accumulated funds. Some participants considered that the primary objective of such funds was to ensure the payment of benefits and more generally to be used for the welfare of workers who participated in the financing of the scheme concerned; the funds should not be regarded merely as accumulated for the purpose of investing in the national economic development.

Other topics discussed by the seminar at the last stage of its work included the role to be played by statutory social security schemes in their relation to the conditions of work in multinational undertakings which were usually far better than those available to workers in national undertakings; and the selective apprcach adopted for the introduction of social security in developing countries which often created and even widened a gap between the organised industrial sector and the rural sector. The seminar was also given by one of its participants detailed information regarding the experience of his country in the follow up of the national development plan.

Finally, the seminar considered it most advisable that the ILO should continue its efforts to organise a series of seminars similar to the present one both at regional and national levels, since the exchange of views on particularly important problem a reas of social security, national economy and planning among participants from social security agencies, planning authorities, employers' organisations and trade unions, had proved to be very useful and informative.

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