1995 — Page 65

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 65

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

problem of rising unemployment and to enact legislation to protect the employment opportunity of local workers and to stop importation of foreign workers and to step up retraining programme. Failure to do so will put the Council in a difficult situation and result in achieving nothing. After the 'Importation of Labour Scheme' in 1989, the unemployment rate has risen from 1.4% to 2.8%, a record in nine years. You can also see that the labour participation rate in Hong Kong has been declining year after year, from 66.8% in 1989 to 62% in 1994. There is a reduction of 170,000 workers. 100,000 workers are waiting for jobs including 84,000 unemployed and 12,000 under-employed. So to solve the hawker problem, we have to deal with the problem of unemployment and under-unemployment which is not the responsibility of the Council. It is the responsibility of the Administration. The Administration should face the problem squarely and implement effective measures. Only by so doing the problem of unlicensed hawkers can be put under control. Therefore, I urge the Central Government to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers at its root. It is not outside the ambit of this Council. Instead, the Council should be seen to be protecting the interests of the general public and providing a moral obligation to unlicensed hawkers. Otherwise, after 12 months, on 1 April 1996, all itinerant hawker licences will be cancelled. If we do not introduce short and long-term measures now, we can anticipate that with rising unemployment, the problem of unlicensed hawkers will deteriorate and the community will be more unstable.

With these remarks, I beg to move.

MR. TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, I would like to support the motion by Mr. WONG. The unemployment problem of local workers is one of the factors contributing to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. Actually, I have doubts or suspicions on the effectiveness of the Labour Department's retraining programme. The practical use of the retraining programme and also the escalating unemployment rate are factors leading to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I urge the concerned departments to pay attention to these problems. There are a number of points I would like to make. I hope the Department can further examine and incorporate them in their future plan, especially on the question of GDT's deployment; the Department should further examine the question so that the GDT can be better equipped. Besides, the Department should consider whether there are any award systems to raise the morale of staff members in the face of increasing social pressure. Thirdly, do we have plans to increase the mobility of the GDTs and also their efficiency so that they would still be able to control hawkers effectively under pressure.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):--The motion has been duly moved and seconded. I will invite Mr. SZETO Wah to speak first out of turn because he has to leave early.

MR. SZETO WAH (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, some consider that this motion on the importation of labour is outside the ambit of the Urban Council,

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Page 65 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 43 problem of rising unemployment and to enact legislation to protect the employment opportunity of local workers and to stop importation of foreign workers and to step up retraining programme. Failure to do so will put the Council in a difficult situation and result in achieving nothing. After the 'Importation of Labour Scheme' in 1989, the unemployment rate has risen from 1.4% to 2.8%, a record in nine years. You can also see that the labour participation rate in Hong Kong has been declining year after year, from 66.8% in 1989 to 62% in 1994. There is a reduction of 170,000 workers. 100,000 workers are waiting for jobs including 84,000 unemployed and 12,000 under-employed. So to solve the hawker problem, we have to deal with the problem of unemployment and under-unemployment which is not the responsibility of the Council. It is the responsibility of the Administration. The Administration should face the problem squarely and implement effective measures. Only by so doing the problem of unlicensed hawkers can be put under control. Therefore, I urge the Central Government to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers at its root. It is not outside the ambit of this Council. Instead, the Council should be seen to be protecting the interests of the general public and providing a moral obligation to unlicensed hawkers. Otherwise, after 12 months, on 1 April 1996, all itinerant hawker licences will be cancelled. If we do not introduce short and long-term measures now, we can anticipate that with rising unemployment, the problem of unlicensed hawkers will deteriorate and the community will be more unstable. With these remarks, I beg to move. MR. TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, I would like to support the motion by Mr. WONG. The unemployment problem of local workers is one of the factors contributing to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. Actually, I have doubts or suspicions on the effectiveness of the Labour Department's retraining programme. The practical use of the retraining programme and also the escalating unemployment rate are factors leading to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I urge the concerned departments to pay attention to these problems. There are a number of points I would like to make. I hope the Department can further examine and incorporate them in their future plan, especially on the question of GDT's deployment; the Department should further examine the question so that the GDT can be better equipped. Besides, the Department should consider whether there are any award systems to raise the morale of staff members in the face of increasing social pressure. Thirdly, do we have plans to increase the mobility of the GDTs and also their efficiency so that they would still be able to control hawkers effectively under pressure. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):--The motion has been duly moved and seconded. I will invite Mr. SZETO Wah to speak first out of turn because he has to leave early. MR. SZETO WAH (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, some consider that this motion on the importation of labour is outside the ambit of the Urban Council, Page 65 of 485 Page 65 Page 66

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Page 65 01 405 Page 65 of 485 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 43 problem of rising unemployment and to enact legislation to protect the employment opportunity of local workers and to stop importation of foreign workers and to step up retraining programme. Failure to do so will put the Council in a difficult situation and result in achieving nothing. After the *Importation of Labour Scheme' in 1989, the unemployment rate has risen from 1.4% to 2.8%, a record in nine years. You can also see that the labour participation rate in Hong Kong has been declining year after year. from 66.8% in 1989 to 62% in 1994. There is a reduction of 170 000 workers. 100 000 workers are waiting for jobs including 84 000 unemployed and 12 000 under-employed. So to solve the hawker problem, we have to deal with the problem of unemployment and under-unemployment which is not the responsibility of the Council. It is the responsibility of the Administration. The Administration should face the problem squarely and implement effective measures. Only by so doing the problem of unlicensed hawkers can be put under control. Therefore, I urge the Central Government to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers at its root. It is not outside the ambit of this Council. Instead, the Council should be seen to be protecting the interests of the general public and providing a moral obligation to unlicensed hawkers. Otherwise after 12 months, on 1 April 1996 all itinerant hawker licences will be cancelled. If we do not introduce short and long term measures now, we can anticipate that with rising unemployment, the problem of unlicensed hawkers will deteriorate and the community will be more unstable. With these remarks I beg to move. MR. TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman. I would like to support the motion by Mr. WONG. The unemployment problem of local worker is one of the factors contributing to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. Actually, I have doubts or suspicions on the effectiveness of the Labour Department's retraining programme. The practical use of the retraining programme and also the escalating unemployment rate are factors leading to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I urge the concerned departments to pay attention to these problems. There are a number of points I would like to make. I hope the Department can further examine and incorporate them in their future plan, especially on the question of GDT's deployment the Department should further examine the question so that the GDT can be better equipped. Besides, the Department should consider whether there are any award systems to raise the morale of staff members in the face of increasing social pressure. Thirdly, do we have plans to increase the mobility of the GDTs and also their efficiency so that they would still be able to control hawkers effectively under pressure. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):---The motion has been duly moved and seconded. I will invite Mr. SZETO Wah to speak first out of turn because he has to leave carly. MR. SZETO WAIT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, some consider that this motion on the importation of labour is outside the ambit of the Urban Council, Page 65 of Page 65 of 485 Page 65Page 66

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Page 65 of 485

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

problem of rising unemployment and to enact legislation to protect the employment opportunity of local workers and to stop importation of foreign workers and to step up retraining programme. Failure to do so will put the Council in a difficult situation and result in achieving nothing. After the *Importation of Labour Scheme' in 1989, the unemployment rate has risen from 1.4% to 2.8%, a record in nine years. You can also see that the labour participation rate in Hong Kong has been declining year after year. from 66.8% in 1989 to 62% in 1994. There is a reduction of 170 000 workers. 100 000 workers are waiting for jobs including 84 000 unemployed and 12 000 under-employed. So to solve the hawker problem, we have to deal with the problem of unemployment and under-unemployment which is not the responsibility of the Council. It is the responsibility of the Administration. The Administration should face the problem squarely and implement effective measures. Only by so doing the problem of unlicensed hawkers can be put under control. Therefore, I urge the Central Government to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers at its root. It is not outside the ambit of this Council. Instead, the Council should be seen to be protecting the interests of the general public and providing a moral obligation to unlicensed hawkers. Otherwise after 12 months, on 1 April 1996 all itinerant hawker licences will be cancelled. If we do not introduce short and long term measures now, we can anticipate that with rising unemployment, the problem of unlicensed hawkers will deteriorate and the community will be more unstable.

With these remarks I beg to move.

MR. TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman. I would like to support the motion by Mr. WONG. The unemployment problem of local worker is one of the factors contributing to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. Actually, I have doubts or suspicions on the effectiveness of the Labour Department's retraining programme. The practical use of the retraining programme and also the escalating unemployment rate are factors leading to the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I urge the concerned departments to pay attention to these problems. There are a number of points I would like to make. I hope the Department can further examine and incorporate them in their future plan, especially on the question of GDT's deployment the Department should further examine the question so that the GDT can be better equipped. Besides, the Department should consider whether there are any award systems to raise the morale of staff members in the face of increasing social pressure. Thirdly, do we have plans to increase the mobility of the GDTs and also their efficiency so that they would still be able to control hawkers effectively under pressure.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):---The motion has been duly moved and seconded. I will invite Mr. SZETO Wah to speak first out of turn because he has to leave carly.

MR. SZETO WAIT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, some consider that this motion on the importation of labour is outside the ambit of the Urban Council,

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