ENG-1989 — Page 130

EMPLOYMENT

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 admin- istering legislation on explosives, prospecting, quarrying and mining.

During the year, the Staff Training and Development Division organised three induction courses for 51 new recruits and 24 in-service training programmes for 931 serving officers. A total of 47 officers were sent overseas for training or duty visits with a view to improving the quality of the department's services to the public or preparing for new areas of service.

Labour Relations

In 1989, the Labour Relations Service of the Labour Department conciliated in 130 trade disputes which led to seven work stoppages, with a loss of 3 270 working days. These compared with 2 345 working days lost in eight work stoppages in 1988. The service also dealt with 15 206 claims for wages in lieu of notice, wages in arrears, annual leave pay, holiday pay, end-of-year payment, severance payment, long-service payment and others.

The Labour Relations Ordinance provides the 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. To promote good labour-management relations, a committee on labour relations was set up in 1986 by the Labour Advisory Board.

To sustain the momentum generated from Labour Relations '88 which was a large-scale promotional programme held between November and December 1988, a Hong Kong Labour Relations Conference was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in October 1989. The event attracted 900 participants from local trade unions, business, professional and academic circles. The main theme of the conference was Business Management and Industrial Relations in 1990's - New Challenges and Opportunities. Leading speakers from various industries and trades dealt with the subject from the economic, socio-political, technological and legislative points of view.

The Labour Relations Service's promotion unit endeavours to promote harmonious labour-management relations in the private sector through a variety of activities. In 1989, these included 305 visits to individual establishments in major economic sectors, em- ployers' associations and employees' trade unions, two symposia on effective utilisation of human resources, 49 seminars on labour relations, 11 exhibitions, 349 talks delivered to various establishments and organisations, the publication of a quarterly newsletter and a series of information leaflets and pamphlets on a wide range of labour legislation and labour relations matters. The unit also organised 31 certificate courses, one of which was jointly organised with an employers' association, and 19 staff relations management courses for supervisors.

To meet the increasing demands at district level, an establishment of four officers with supporting staff was created during the year to liaise with district boards and their committees and individual establishments in the districts. Promotional activities mounted at district level in 1989 ranged from audio-visual shows to training courses and seminars. An expanded schedule of district promotional activities is expected to be launched early next year.

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