TNAG-0876-FCO40-1086-Development-of-social-welfare-policy-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 17

CONFIDENTIAL

10 -

CHAPTER

PROPOSALS RECEIVED AND

CNING GROUP'S R.COND TIOUS

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pp. 9

3.1

The orking Group vent on to study the various proposals concerning maternity protection and benefits which were submitted to the Government in 1978 or which had appeared in newspapers since the beginning of 1978. A sumery of all the proposals is at appendix 9.

The orking Croup noted et hitherto the answers given by the

Goverment on this subject (including answers to questions in the Legislative Council on two occasions, January 1977 and October 1978)

were on the lines tt:

3.2

(a) the aternity protection provisions in the

ployment Ordinance (Chapter 57) were adequate; (b) steps to improve conditions and terms of service

conferring maternity benefits as opposed to

protection s'ould continue to be a matter of

negotiation and agreement between employers and

their employees;

(c) it was probably inappropriate to intro^uce paid

maternity leave benefits in the context of the

ployment Crdinance as IO Convention No. 103 (naternity protection, 1957) stipulate, inter

alia, that in no case should the employer be

individually liable for the cost of these benefits;

and

(c) any new proporals would be examined as part of the

continuing review of labour and social provisions

in Tong Long •

The Working roup recalled the Governor's statement made

in the Legislative Council in Cctober 1976 that Hong Kong should

set itself the target of achieving a level of lerislation governing

safety, healt' and conditions of employment broadly equivalent to

the best in force in our neighbouring Asian countries excluding

aving examined all the proposals in Appendix 9, the

Japan.

CONFIDENTIAL

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