ENG-1992 — Page 128

EMPLOYMENT

Working hours, night work, rest periods, overtime work for young persons aged below 18 and women in industrial establishments and work in dangerous trades are strictly regulated by law.

The Labour Inspectorate of the Labour Department is responsible for monitoring employers' compliance with labour standards and statutory benefits in respect of em- ployment of women and young persons, payment of wages, leave, sickness allowance and maternity protection as stipulated in the Employment Ordinance which applies to both local and foreign workers.

In addition to regular inspections of workplaces six special teams are deployed to enforce the provisions of the Employment Ordinance for both local and foreign workers.

Special campaigns are organised each year to tackle particular subjects. In 1992, nine campaigns involving 26 100 establishments were conducted to deter the employment of children and illegal immigrants.

Labour Legislation

The Commissioner for Labour is the principal adviser to the government on labour affairs and is responsible for initiating proposals for new labour legislation and amendments to existing legislation. In respect of labour matters, the government's policy is to achieve a level of safety, health and welfare for employees in Hong Kong broadly equivalent to those provided in neighbouring countries at a similar stage of economic development. This objective has been achieved through legislative enactments totalling 125 in the past decade. During 1992, 17 pieces of labour legislation were enacted.

Labour Advisory Board

The Labour Advisory Board, a non-statutory advisory body on labour matters, plays an active role in the formulation of labour policies and legislation. Established in 1927, the board has six members representing employers and another six representing employees, with the Commissioner for Labour or her deputy as the ex-officio chairman. Of the employer representatives, five are nominated by five major employer associations and one appointed ad personam. Five of the employee representatives are elected by registered employee trade unions and one appointed ad personam. All 12 members are appointed by the Governor.

To cope with the increasing range and complexity of work and to encourage greater participation by employers and employees, committees have been set up under the Labour Advisory Board on special subject areas such as employment services, industrial safety and health, labour relations, employees' compensation and the implementation of international labour standards. A number of employers and employees are co-opted to serve on these committees. The process of consultation through the Labour Advisory Board ensures that the views of the employers and employees can be sufficiently canvassed in the formulation of labour policies to provide a progressive yet balanced programme of labour legislation for the benefit of all concerned.

International Labour Conventions

The International Labour Organisation adopts international labour conventions which set out the standards on matters relating to basic human rights, employment, social policy, labour administration, labour relations, conditions of work and social security. As a

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