ENG-2007 — Page 185

Employment 137

Labour Relations

Labour relations in Hong Kong remained harmonious. In 2007, the Labour Department's Labour Relations Division handled 124 trade disputes, a fall of 38 per cent from 2006. There were three work stoppages, resulting in the loss of 8 027 working days. The average loss was 2.26 working days per 1 000 salaried employees and wage-earners. This was higher than previous years and was caused mainly by a strike by bar-benders during the year. Nevertheless, the average loss of working days per 1 000 employees and wage-earners in Hong Kong is still among the lowest in the world. During the year, the division handled 21 698 claims for wages and other employment-related benefits or entitlements. This represented a decrease of 13 per cent from 2006. The division settled 71.7 per cent of all disputes and claims it handled in 2007 the highest success rate in 13 years.

The Labour Department organises a wide variety of activities such as talks, seminars and exhibitions to enhance public understanding of the Employment Ordinance. It also produces a wide range of free publications for the public. Information on the subject is also disseminated through the department's website and the media.

The department promotes tripartite dialogue at the industry level by setting up committees comprising employers, employees and labour officials. The department helped set up nine tripartite committees to deal with matters concerning the catering, construction, theatre, logistics, property management, printing, hotel and tourism, cement and concrete, and retail industries.

At the enterprise level, the department promotes good labour management practices and effective communication. Eighteen human resources managers' clubs have been established. Experience-sharing sessions and briefings are organised for members.

Trade Unions

The Registry of Trade Unions administers the Trade Unions Ordinance and promotes good and responsible trade union management. Once registered, a trade union becomes a body corporate and enjoys immunity from certain civil suits.

In 2007, 18 new unions were registered, bringing the number of registered trade unions to 775 (comprising 731 employee unions, 21 employers' associations and 23 organisations comprising employees and employers). There were also three registered trade union federations. In the past five years, the declared membership of employee unions and the trade union participation rate have averaged around 660 000 and about 21 per cent respectively.

About half of the employee unions are affiliated to four major labour organisations registered under the Societies Ordinance. They are the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (176 unions), the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council (30 unions), the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (76 unions), and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (62 unions).