ENG-1980 — Page 85

EMPLOYMENT

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Important legislative changes came into force during the year with the enactment of the Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Ordinance 1980. This ordinance was designed to implement the more immediate recommendations of the working party appointed by the Commissioner for Labour, in 1978, to carry out a comprehensive review of the Work- men's Compensation Ordinance. These included the extension of workmen's compensation to all employees; raising the various levels of compensation; making provision for an injured employee's age to be taken into account in assessing the compensation payable; requiring employers to be responsible for the repair and renewal of prostheses and surgical appliances originally fitted to injured employees; and revising the First Schedule to the ordinance concerning the percentage loss of earning capacity for various injuries. Further legislation is being drafted to implement the remainder of the recommendations made by the working party.

The Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance which was enacted in July - and the main provisions of which will come into operation on January 1, 1981 - introduces a revised pneumoconiosis compensation scheme, thereby repealing the Workmen's Com- pensation (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 1978. It provides for the compensation of people suffering from silicosis and asbestosis. Compensation is to be paid from the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund financed by a levy imposed initially on the con- struction and quarrying industries. All people diagnosed as suffering from these diseases prior to the operative date of the legislation will be eligible for ex-gratia payments from the government.

Industrial Training

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The Hong Kong Training Council was appointed by the Governor in 1973 to advise him on the measures necessary to ensure a comprehensive system of manpower training geared to meet the developing needs of Hong Kong's economy. On the council's recommenda- tion, the Governor appointed 10 industry training boards, six commerce training boards and six committees to help the council.

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The 10 industry training boards deal with the training needs and problems of 10 major industries: automobile repairs and servicing; building and civil engineering; clothing; electrical; electronics; machine shop and metal working; plastics; printing; shipbuilding and ship repairs; and textiles.

The six commerce training boards handle manpower training in six major commerce sectors: accountancy and allied fields; banking; hotels, catering and tourism; insurance; journalism; and wholesale, retail, import and export trades.

The six committees examine problems common to more than one industry or commerce sector. They are: apprenticeship; instructor training; management and supervisory train- ing; technical training in institutions; translation; and vocational training.

The Hong Kong Training Council also has two ad hoc committees - one on training in industries not presently covered by the industry training boards and the other on technol- ogist training. The council submitted its sixth report to the Governor in July. The Training Council Division of the Labour Department is the secretariat of the council.

During the year, manpower surveys were conducted by the five industry training boards covering automobile repairs and servicing, electronics, machine shop and metal working, printing, and shipbuilding and ship repairs. An economy-wide survey was jointly conducted by the Accountancy and Allied Fields Training Board, the Wholesale/Retail and Import/ Export Trades Training Board and the Committee on Management and Supervisory Training, to assess the overall demand for trained personnel in their various fields. The