ENG-2012 — Page 147

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Employment

The ERB's 'Smart Living Scheme' refers ERB graduates to people needing their services which include domestic help, post-natal care, infant and child care, elderly care, escort for outpatients, care for discharged and hospital patients, and healthcare massage.

The ERB also attaches great importance to improving workers' chances of employment by providing them with training in generic skills, such as workplace language, business numeracy, IT applications, personal attributes and job search skills.

The ERB operates three service centres in Kowloon East, Kowloon West and Tin Shui Wai to provide people in those districts with training and employment support. The ERB ensures its training courses meet the standards set by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications for recognition under the Qualifications Framework. The ERB's main income comes from the 'Employees Retraining Levy, collected from employers of imported workers, including foreign domestic helpers. The levy goes to the Employees Retraining Fund (ERF), which is administered by the ERB. Since the levy was temporarily suspended on 1 August 2008, the ERB has relied mainly on the remaining funds in the ERF to support its operations.

Continuing Education Fund

The Government's 'Continuing Education Fund (CEF)' subsidises continuing studies for adults. On completion of a CEF approved course, eligible applicants receive reimbursement equal to 80 per cent of the fees paid, capped at $10,000 per person. More than 38,000 applications to open CEF accounts were approved in 2012.

Labour Relations

In 2012, the Labour Department's Labour Relations Division handled 79 trade disputes and 18,920 employment claims. The total was 5 per cent higher than in 2011. In cases where the department provided conciliation services, 73.2 per cent were settled. There was one work stoppage during the year, resulting in a loss of 375 working days, or an average loss of 0.12 working days per 1,000 salaried employees and wage earners, one of the lowest in the world.

The Labour Department organises a variety of activities such as seminars, talks and roving exhibitions, and distributes free publications and promotional materials to enhance public understanding of the Employment Ordinance, good labour management measures and family- friendly employment practices. Information is also disseminated through the department's website and the media.

The department has set up nine industry-based committees (catering, construction, theatre, logistics, property management, printing, hotel and tourism, cement and concrete, and retail industries) to promote tripartite dialogue and co-operation at the industry level among employers, employees and the Government. Each committee provides an effective forum for members to discuss issues relevant to the particular industry.

The department has also established 18 human resources managers' clubs where experience- sharing sessions and briefings are held for members to promote good labour management practices and effective employer-employee communication.

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