ENG-1999 — Page 167

EMPLOYMENT

On the occupational safety and health side, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance was amended to provide for mandatory safety training for workers in the construction industry and the container handling industry and to empower the Commissioner for Labour to make regulations for controlling the performance of safety auditors and safety review officers. Amendments were also made to the subsidiary legislation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance to strengthen control on working in confined spaces and working at height at construction sites, and to require designated industrial undertakings to implement a safer management system to manage their safety at work in a self-regulatory

manner.

Enforcement of Legislation

During 1999, there were 6 364 prosecutions for breaches of various ordinances and regulations administered by the Labour Department. Fines totalling $42,594,600 were imposed.

Labour Advisory Board

The Labour Advisory Board is a non-statutory body set up to advise the Commissioner for Labour on labour matters, including labour policies, legislation and the application of international labour conventions. It also monitors the Supplementary Labour Scheme. Six of the 12 members represent employers, and the other six represent employees. The Commissioner for Labour, or his deputy, is the ex officio chairman.

The board has set up five committees on special subjects including employees' compensation, employment services, occupational safety and health, labour relations and the implementation of international labour standards.

International Labour Standards

The international labour conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) prescribe standards on matters such as labour administration, employment, and occupational safety and health as models for member states. These conventions have a significant influence on the formulation of the HKSAR labour legislation and 45 conventions are applied here. This compares favourably with most member states of the ILO in the Asia-Pacific region. On April 20, 1999, the Central People's Government notified the ILO that the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) was applicable to the HKSAR. It was the first convention to be applicable to the HKSAR after China's resumption of sovereignty. The HKSAR continues to participate in the activities of the ILO. In 1999, representatives from the HKSAR participated in the 87th Session of the International Labour Conference as part of the delegation of the People's Republic of China. The HKSAR also participated in regional activities of the ILO, using the name 'Hong Kong, China'.

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.

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