(II)
· 5 ·
At present, residents are entitled
to most of the following social security benefits, though to qualify for some of them, one has to have a minimum resident period ranging from one to five years. These cash benefits include public assistance, old age allowance for those aged 70 and above, disability allowance, financial assistance to traffic accident victims and the criminal and law enforcement injuries compensation, and emergency relief for victims of fires and natural disasters. 42% of the entire population live in subsidized public housing.
In addition, most salaried employees and wage earners are entitled under the provisions of the Employment Ordinance, to a weekly rest day, 10 statutory holidays with pay a year, 7 days paid annual leave, payment for sickness days, maternity leave for female employees, employment security in the form of notice or payment on termination and severance pay. They are also entitled to workmen's compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance.
Apart from these statutory or state- provided social benefits, a large number of salaried employees of well-established organisations are also given additional fringe benefits such as annual bonus of not less than one month's pay at the end of the year or before the Lunar New Year; housing subsidy, free or subsidised lunch etc. It is not at all rare that many large factories also provide free transport, medical care and quarters for their workers.
Progress made during the recent years
It is evident that the Report is inadequate in that it did not deal with the achievements and progress made in Hong Kong during the last few years. The areas of progress which have a significant bearing on the eradication of child employment are as follows
(a) An expanded labour inspectorate and intensified
enforcement of the law
The number of labour inspectors has increased from 63 in April 1972 to 188 by 30 September 1979. With an expanded labour inspectorate, special campaigns for detecting illegal child employment in industrial undertakings are conducted not less frequently than three times a year and the whole labour inspectorate is deployed on these occasions. Industries which are more likely to employ children at
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