ENG-2001 — Page 179

EMPLOYMENT

course of employment or by specified occupational diseases. An employer must be in possession of a valid insurance policy to cover his liabilities under the ordinance and at common law.

The Employees' Compensation Division of the Labour Department, which administers the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assists injured employees and family members of deceased employees to obtain compensation from their employers. It also administers a scheme to provide interest-free loans to those who need financial assistance as a result of a work-related accident.

Payment of compensation under the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance is administered by the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board. Pneumoconiosis sufferers who were diagnosed before 1981 are not covered by the ordinance. They receive ex gratia benefits from the Government under the Pneumoconiosis Ex Gratia Scheme.

The Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme compensates employees. suffering from noise-induced deafness arising from the specified noisy occupations. It is administered by the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board. A review of the scheme was initiated in late 2000 and completed in July 2001.

The Employees Compensation Assistance Scheme provides a safety net for injured employees or family members of deceased employees so that they can receive compensation from the scheme in cases where employers default payment of compensation for work-related injuries or insurers become insolvent. The scheme is financed by a levy imposed on all employees' compensation insurance policies taken out by employers.

Labour Relations

The state of labour relations in Hong Kong remained harmonious. In 2001, the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department provided conciliation service in 369 trade disputes, an increase of 20 per cent over 2000. There was one work stoppage, resulting in a loss of 780 working days. The average loss was 0.26 working day per 1 000 wage earners and salaried employees, which is among the lowest rates. in the world. During the year, the division handled 31 329 claims for wages and other employment-related benefits or entitlements. This represented an increase of 9 per cent over 2000. About 64 per cent of the disputes and claims in 2001 were settled through conciliation by the division.

The Labour Department promotes harmonious labour-management relations through a variety of activities such as organising training courses and workshops and disseminating information on labour legislation.

The department provides free consultancy services to help employers develop effective machinery for staff communication, consultation and voluntary negotiation. It also promotes tripartite dialogue at the industry level through the setting up of committees comprising representatives of employers, employees and labour officials. With the assistance of the department, nine tripartite committees have been formed, covering the catering, construction, theatre, warehouse and cargo transport, property management, printing, hotel and tourism, cement and concrete, and retail industries.

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