TNAG-0645-FCO40-793-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 8

Child Employment in Hong Kong

- HKK. 210 / 1

30 ND

No:

"...

The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations. prohibit employers in Hong Kong from employing persons below the age of 14 in industrial undertakings. This prohibition is vigorously enforced by the Labour Department. On the one hand, the Labour Inspectorate of the department conducts frequent visits and campaigns against the employment of children throughout the year. It is evident that in the past few years less and less children were employed in industry. For instance, in the campaigns conducted in the summer holidays of 1975 to 1977, the percentage of the number of children detected as against the total workforce surveyed showed a marked decline, despite the department's effort to inspect more industrial undertakings in each campaign. A comparative statistical table of the three campaigns is at Appendix I.

On the other hand, the maximum penalty for the illegal employment of children in industry was increased from $5,000 to $10,000 with effect from 2.4.1977. Assisted by Crown Counsels in the prosecution of some of the child employment cases, the department has been able to persuade the presiding magistrates and build up the average fine per case from $503.20 for the first eight months in 1976 to $1,185.64 for the same period in 1977. (Please see Appendix II for a detailed breakdown) Being confronted by this heavy penalty, management of industrial undertakings will have to think twice before employing children in their concerns.

Lab sepí

20 Oct 77.

how.

W Quantrill

w Thapsen/ This was prepared at my request by the HK Lubow depulumt. it will be useful in prepain for the monttening ettere meeting bot- it is cocuse vergl witch ovens hudowed by the new proposals her up to 15 yr Des

кур

Jals

Figures on campaigns against child employment in industry

conducted during summer holidays

Appendix I

24th

5th

22nd-24th

27th-29th

Period of Campaign

July 75

July 76

Aug.

Sept.

77

77

A. No. of industrial undertakings

visited

5,840

5,650

8,059

B. No. of industrial undertakings

in operation

4,517

4,378

6,646

"

C. Estimated total workforce in

industrial undertakings referred to in Item B

100,878

105,186

182,446

D. No. of industrial undertakings

verified to have employed children

80

88

. 112

E. Total no. of children found

employed in industrial undertakings referred to in Item D

101

101

133

F. Average no. of industrial under-

takings employing children per 100 operating industrial under- takings visited

Item D

(

x 100)

Item B

G. Average no. of children employed per 100 operating industrial undertakings visited

(

Item E

x 100)

Item B

H. Average no. of children employed

per 100 workers

(

Item E Item C

x 100)

1.77

2.01 :

1.69.

2.24

2.31

2.00

0.10

0.096

0.07

D

Fines imposed in connection with

child employment cases by the court

Appendix II

1976

1977

No. of

Years

Average fine

No. of

Total

Total

convicted

per convicted

convicted

fines

fines

cases

case

cases

Average fine

case

per convicted

Jan.

50

$16,875

$337.50

38

$18,750

$493.42

Feb.

20

$6,290

$314.50

32

$27,400

$856.25

March

23

$12,250

$532.61

25

$27,080

$1,083.20

April

17

$8,500

$500

35

$32,300

$922.86

May

36

$26,800

$744.44

25

$42,350

$1,694.00

June

18

$8,200

$455.56

32

$40,550

$1,267.19

July

21

$11,725

$558.33

31.

$49,500

$1,596.77

Aug.

15

$10,000

$666.67

55

$85,750

$1,559.09

Total

200

$100,640

$503.20

273

$323,680

$1,185,64

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