TNAG-0531-FCO40-626-Application-of-International-Labour-Convention-to-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 46

24

3.

SOCIAL SECURITY IN ASIA

(by Kenneth Thompson)

Introduction

The purposes of this paper are to describe the general social security situation in Asia, to identify its main characteristics and also the major governing factors as a preliminary to the subsequent analysis of the effectiveness and shortcomings of prevailing social security measures, and, finally, consideration the future perspective for the development of improved systems of protection.

of

governments

Some

Since the end of the Second World War,

Asian countries, whatever their different social, cultural, political and economic characteristics have exhibited a common determination that their peoples shall be given social security protection. In an era of increasing state activism in all sectors of national life, have recognised the need for the development of social security measures. countries have declared their intentions in this respect in the form of constitutional articles or by policy announcements and declarations. Recognising, as the experience of industrialised nations in Asia and other regions of the world has shown, that, for many compelling reasons, complete and universal social security can be achieved only over a span of a great many years, these commitments have been framed as objectives to be achieved as and when possible. Accordingly, the developing countries of the region have adopted a realistic approach to the selection of the contingencies, and of the groups of persons to be given priority. Furthermore, they have evolved their social security programmes through a variety of methods, and there are considerable contrasts in the progress achieved up to date.

Methods of providing social security

General

Governments have had a choice of four main methods to fulfil their pledges to secure social protection for groups in their populations. These are (a) employers' liability schemes, in which individual employers have been made legally liable to provide certain benefits directly to their workers, (b) social insurance schemes in which risks and finances are pooled, (c) statutory provident funds which consist of individual accumulations of savings from the contributions of employers and workers, and

the addition of interest, and (d) non-contributory benefit schemes based on the principle that the protection should be available to persons without regard to periods of employment or the payment of contributions. Most countries have utilised a number or even all of these techniques at different times or even simultaneously. These methods and their variations have been designed to meet different needs, and therefore have different uses. For example, employers' liability schemes for the contingency of employment injury, which have an historical background, have been and maternity. These contingencies are essentially of a short-term nature, whereas the statutory provident funds have as their main purpose financial help in old age, invalidity, or on the death of the breadwinner. It is also relevant to point out that countries may have different concurrent systems for the same contingency. This is most common with employment injury legislation during the process of changing the principle of protection from employers' liability to social insurance. introduction of the latter may not be feasible for all employees and all geographical areas and therefore the two schemes have to be complementary for some

very common, and they also apply widely to sickness

The immediate

1 For example, article 41 of the Constitution of India provides that the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and public assistance in the case of unemployment, old age, sickness, disablement and other cases of undeserved want. The Constitution of Burma lays down in article 33 that the State shall direct the policy towards securing to each citizen the right to work, the right to maintenance in old age and during sickness or loss of capacity for work, the right to rest or leisure, and the right to education. It is further provided in article 37 (2)

that the State shall specifically direct its policy towards protecting the interests of nursing mothers and infants by establishing maternity and infant welfare centres, childrens homes and day nurseries and towards securing to mothers in employment the right to leave with pay before and after child birth.

E-1195-2C: 6