TNAG-2858-FCO40-4112-Public-holidays-in-Hong-Kong-1993 — Page 15

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19.

the

There have been

other proposals for public

holidays, e.g. the Birthday of Buddha Sakyamuni, Founder of

Buddhist Religion, usually celebrated on the 8th day of

the 450 lunar month. As it would be clearly impracticable

auspicious Occasions

for all such

holidays, We

the Employment

to be celebrated as

recommend that the existing provision under

Ordinance (Cap. 57) be retained, whereby an

employee, with the agreement of his employer, may take one

'floating holidays' should he wish to observe this

of his

or any other special day as a holiday.

Reducing the gap between the number of

statutory and general holidays

20.

We believe that this is also the right time to

examine the gap between the number of statutory and general

As mentioned in paragraph 5 above, there are 11

holidays.

statutory

holidays provided under the Employment Ordinance

(Cap. 57) and 17 general

of holidays

provide the

holidays under the Holidays

Ordinance (Cap. 149). The difference between the two types

is that employers are required by law to

former type, and failure to do so could result

in а fine upon conviction. From time to time there have

been calls to combine the two, or at least to reduce the

numerical difference between them.

However, if the two

sets of holidays were to be combined, it would mean

either

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