ENG-1994 — Page 164

EMPLOYMENT

prepared to offer reasonable terms of employment including wages and accommodation, and that the employers are willing to provide for the helpers' maintenance in the territory as well as the costs of return to their country of origin.

Because of the affluence of Hong Kong society, the demand for foreign domestic helpers has increased steadily. In 1994, there were 141 368 such helpers in Hong Kong, representing an increase of 17.2 per cent compared with 120 604 in 1993. About 85.7 per cent of these domestic helpers were citizens of the Philippines.

Employment Agencies

The Employment Agencies Administration of the Labour Department is responsible for administering Part XII of the Employment Ordinance and the Employment Agency Regulations, which govern the licensing and operation of employment agencies. The department issued 1 240 licences in 1994.

Employment Outside Hong Kong

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The External Employment Service is responsible for administering the Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance to protect the interests of local employees engaged to work outside Hong Kong for foreign employers. All such employment contracts involving manual employees, or non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000, are required to be attested by the Commissioner for Labour. The department attested 21 contracts in 1994.

Industrial Safety

Hong Kong's unsatisfactory record of industrial safety is in marked contrast to the success of its economy and the sophistication of its work force. To remedy the situation, the government has made substantial amendments to the law on industrial safety. These efforts to tighten controls and reduce the number of accidents have started to produce results. In the first nine months of 1994, the number of industrial accidents fell by 39.1 per cent to 21 696 and the number of fatal accidents by 26 per cent to 54, compared to the corresponding period of 1993. A comprehensive review of industrial safety will be undertaken in 1995.

The Factory Inspectorate Division of the Labour Department is responsible for enforcing the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations. The legislation provides for the safety and health of workers in factories, catering and cargo- handling establishments, building and engineering construction sites and other industrial undertakings. Advice and assistance are given to management on ways of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work place. The division also investigates industrial accidents and dangerous incidents.

To ensure the safe operation of builders' lifts, a special inspection exercise was launched in June by an interdepartmental task force team, comprising factory inspectors and technical staff of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the Housing Department.

The levels of maximum fines for offences under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations were revised in January. For very serious offences, the maximum fines have been increased to $200,000, while the less serious offences carry maximum fines of $10,000 or $50,000.

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