ENG-1960 — Page 72

EMPLOYMENT

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Labour Department. The Commissioner of Labour is the principal adviser to Government on all matters connected with labour and industrial relations. He is ex officio chairman of the Labour Advisory Board, on which both labour and management are represented, and which is consulted on all legislative matters affecting labour. The Commissioner is also chairman of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Standing Committee, an ex officio member of the Port Committee, and a member of the Kwun Tong Advisory Committee. He is, concurrently, Com- missioner of Mines.

The Labour Department is responsible for initiating all labour legislation and for keeping under review the local legislative and administrative arrangements which give effect to the Colony's obligations under international labour conventions. It carries out registration and regular inspection of individual undertakings to ensure, in particular, safe and healthy conditions of work. It under- takes conciliation in disputes between labour and management. It gives aid and advice to trade unions on their formation and management, and runs classes on the different sides of trade unionism. It advises on the establishment of suitable machinery for joint consultation. It offers training in supervisory techniques. It protects women and young persons employed in industry and emigrant workers. It administers the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, chiefly through investigations by its labour inspectors and health visitors. It carries out, from time to time, surveys of wage rates and conditions of employment. The department is responsible for making sure that sufficient publicity is given to the important provisions of any legislation with which it is concerned.

During the year a large number of posters about industrial safety were again sent to local factories. Articles on different aspects of health, safety, welfare, trade unionism, and allied subjects were prepared by the Labour Department and released for publication in the local press. Through the courtesy of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association space was made available for the fourth successive year at the annual exhibition of Hong Kong products. The display stall and the pamphlet given to visitors aroused much interest and helped to spread knowledge of the