ENG-1976 — Page 72

EMPLOYMENT

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Chung. Although most workers are engaged in modern manufacturing processes, and to a small extent in mining and quarrying, traditional village industries still provide employment.

The 1971 population census recorded a total working population of 1,582,849 in Hong Kong-1,049,989 male and 532,860 female. The main distribution of the workforce was: manufacturing, 677,498; services, 312,173; commerce, 208,604; con- struction and engineering, 168,773; transport and communications, 114,722; agricul- ture, forestry and fishing, 62,975; public utilities, 8,870; mining and quarrying, 4,518; and other industries, 24,716.

Wages and Conditions of Work

Most semi-skilled and unskilled workers in the manufacturing industries are piece-rated, although daily rates of pay are common. Men and women receive the same rates for piece-work, but women are generally paid less when working on a time basis. Wages may be calculated on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis, or on piece rates-when they are customarily paid every 10 or 15 days.

Daily wages for the manufacturing industries at the end of 1976 ranged from $22 to $69 for skilled workers; $15.10 to $46.20 for semi-skilled workers; and $14 to $31.50 for unskilled workers. Many employers provide their workers with free accommodation, subsidised meals or food-allowances, good attendance bonuses, paid rest days, and a Lunar New Year bonus of one month's pay.

A consumer price index (A), based on a household expenditure survey conducted during the period July 1973 to June 1974, is compiled as an indicator of the effect of price changes on the expenditure of households spending $400-$1,499 a month. In December 1976 this index stood at 112 (see Appendix 16). A consumer price index (B) is also compiled to show the effect of price changes on the expenditure of households spending $1,500–$2,999 a month.

The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and its regulations control the hours and conditions of work in industry. Under these regulations, women and young people aged 16 and 17 are permitted to work a maximum of eight hours a day and 48 hours a week. They must be given a rest break of at least half an hour after not more than five hours of continuous work and a weekly rest day. In addition, the regulations limited overtime employment for women and these young people to 200 hours a year as from January 1976.

The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1976, approved by the Legislative Council on December 22, introduced a scheme to reduce the hours of permissible overtime for young people by 50 hours a year with effect from January 1, 1977. By January 1, 1980, overtime for young people will be prohibited.

No children under the age of 14 are allowed to be employed in industry. In addi- tion to 121,632 regular day and night inspections of industrial undertakings by the labour inspectorate, three special campaigns against child employment covering