604218-1940-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time---Trade-Boards--Advertisements-Regulation-Amendment--New-Territories-Regulation-Amendment--Defences-Sketching-Prevention--Amendment — Page 1

578

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No. S. 261.-The following Bills' were read a first time at a meeting of the Council held on the 30th May, 1940:-

Short title.

Fixing minimum wages in certain

cases.

Establish- ment of Trade Boards for trades to which Ordinance applies.

9 Edw. 7, c.

22, s. 11.

9 Edw. 7, c.

22, s. 13.

9 Edw. 7, c. 22, s. 2 (2).

A BILL

[No. 31-11.4.40.—3.]

INTITULED.

An Ordinance to provide machinery for fixing minimum wages, determining normal working hours, and fixing overtime rates in trades where the wage standards are unreasonably low.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Trade Boards Ordinance, 1940.

2.-(1) The Governor in Council may, at any time he thinks fit, by Government Notification published in the Gazette, fix minimum rates of wages for any trade in the Colony either generally or in any specified area or district in any case in which he is satisfied that the minimum rates of wages being paid to any persons employed in any such trade are unreasonably low.

Every Notification fixing minimum rates of wages may be varied from time to time or revoked.

(2) For the purpose of instituting, making, and conduct- ing any inquiry that may be deemed advisable in connexion with fixing any minimum rates of wages in any trade under this Ordinance, and for reporting thereon, the Governor may at any time establish for any trade, or for any branch of work in a trade, a Trade Board, consisting of members representing employers and members representing workers (in this Ordinance referred to as representative members) in equal proportions, and of appointed members, provided that the number of appointed members shall be less than half the total number of representative members.

Where a Trade Board has been established for any branch of work in a trade, any reference in this Ordinance to the trade for which the Board is established shall be con- strued as a reference to the branch of work in the trade for which the Board has been established.

(3) Women shall be eligible as members of Trade Boards as well as men.

(4) The Chairman of a Trade Board shall be the Labour Officer or such other public officer as the Governor may appoint.