ENG-1997 — Page 170

EMPLOYMENT

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either as part of the delegation of the People's Republic of China or using the name 'Hong Kong, China', in consultation with the Chinese Government.

Trade Unions

Trade unions must be registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance, which is administered by the Registrar of Trade Unions. Once registered, a trade union becomes a body corporate and enjoys immunity from certain civil suits.

During the year, 14 new unions were registered. At the end of the year, there were 580 unions, comprising 538 employees' unions, 25 employers' associations and 17 mixed organisations of employees and employers.

About half of the employees' unions are affiliated to one of the five major labour organisations registered under the Societies Ordinance: the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (113 affiliated unions with about 245 700 members), the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council (66 unions, 28 200 members), the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (39 unions, 88 300 members), the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (31 unions, 21 700 members) and the Federation of Civil Service Unions (29 unions, 12 000 members).

Labour Relations

In 1997, the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department provided conciliation service in 161 trade disputes which involved seven work stoppages, resulting in a loss of 790.5 working days. The division also handled 20 404 claims for wages and other employment-related benefits or entitlements.

The Labour Relations Ordinance provides the machinery for mediation, special conciliation, voluntary arbitration and board of inquiry to settle trade disputes which cannot be resolved through ordinary conciliation.

The Labour Department promotes harmonious labour-management relations through a variety of activities such as conducting promotional visits and talks to individual establishments, employers' associations and trade unions; organising training courses, workshops, seminars and exhibitions; and publishing information leaflets and pamphlets on a wide range of labour matters.

The Labour Tribunal

The Labour Tribunal is part of the Judiciary and provides a quick, inexpensive and informal method of adjudicating various types of disputes between employees and employers which are not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board.

In 1997, the tribunal heard 4 196 cases involving employees as claimants and a further 2 072 cases initiated by employers. The presiding officers awarded more than $134 million. Of these cases, 91.75 per cent were referred by the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department after unsuccessful conciliation attempts.

Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board

The Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board adjudicates claims under the Employment Ordinance and in accordance with individual employment contracts. Its jurisdiction has been expanded and, since June 25, 1997, the board has been