ENG-1988 — Page 126

EMPLOYMENT

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The department initiates labour legislation and ensures that Hong Kong's obligations under international labour conventions are observed. Other major activities of the department include: enforcement of ordinances regulating employment conditions; pro- viding employment assistance; promoting good labour relations; providing assistance to employees injured at work and persons suffering from pneumoconiosis in obtaining compensation; protecting and promoting the safety and health of workers; and administer- ing legislation on explosives, prospecting, quarrying and mining.

During the year, the Staff Training and Development Division organised one induction course for 24 new recruits and 19 in-service training programmes for 666 serving officers. In addition, a total of 39 officers were sent overseas for training or duty visits and in pre- paration for new areas of service to be provided to the public.

Labour Relations

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The Labour Relations Ordinance provides machinery for-special conciliation, voluntary arbitration and boards of enquiry for settling trade disputes that cannot be resolved through ordinary conciliation. The Employment Ordinance provides for the protection of the wages of employees and regulates the general conditions of employment. In 1986, a committee on labour relations was set up by the Labour Advisory Board to promote good labour-management relations.

In 1988, the Labour Relations Service of the Labour Department conciliated in 160 trade disputes which led to eight work stoppages, with a loss of 2 345 working days, compared with 2 773 working days lost in 14 work stoppages in 1987. The service also dealt with 15 434 claims for wages in lieu of notice, wages in arrears, annual leave pay, holidays pay, end-of-year payment, severance payment, long-service payment and others.

The Promotion Unit of the Labour Relations Service promotes harmonious labour- management relations in the private sector through a variety of activities. In 1988 these included 315 visits to individual establishments, employers' associations and trade unions, three symposia for the catering and retail trades, 40 seminars, three exhibitions, 230 talks delivered to individual establishments and organisations and the publication of a quarterly newsletter, and leaflets and pamphlets on labour legislation and a wide range of labour relations matters. The unit also organised courses on labour legislation, labour relations and supervisory management on a recurrent basis. During the year, there were 15 certificate courses, three of which were jointly organised with two employers associations, and 13 staff relations management courses for supervisors.

A special promotion programme, entitled 'Labour Relations 88' was organised in November and December in conjunction with the Labour Relations Promotion Sub- committee of the Labour Advisory Board. The programme, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, aimed at promoting harmonious labour relations in Hong Kong through educational as well as entertaining activities, including a territory-wide labour relations conference, 10 district seminars, nine exhibitions, quizzes on labour relations on radio and in the press, a photo competition and a gala night on television.

Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund

In June 1988, the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund Ordinance was amended to make it possible for ex-gratia payments to be made to workers who are barred by law from presenting a bankruptcy petition against their insolvent employers because the amount of wages involved does not exceed $5,000.