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The following is issued on behalf of the Standard Working Hours Committee:
The Standard Working Hours Committee (SWHC) held its seventh meeting today (May 23). The SWHC considered the progress reports of its two working groups on Working Hours Consultation and Working Hours Study.
The Chairperson of the SWHC, Dr Leong Che-hung, said after the meeting, "To widely listen to the views of the community on working hours issues, the SWHC will from May 29 to July 26 hold 13 large-scale open consultation forums for sectors with relatively long working hours mentioned in the Government's earlier Report of the Policy Study on Standard Working Hours, other major industries, members of employers' associations and labour organisations, and the general public. The SWHC encourages the public to attend the relevant forums. They are welcome to download the enrolment form from the SWHC website or call 2127 4504 to register. Apart from attending consultation sessions, members of the public and stakeholding organisations are also welcome to give their views in writing through email, fax or mail by July 31. For details, please visit the SWHC website (www.swhc.org.hk).
"Apart from the series of upcoming consultation sessions, the SWHC will also proactively arrange community and workplace visits to listen to the views of more members of the public and the relevant working people on working hours issues.
"On working hours study, the SWHC will between June and August 2014 conduct a large-scale household survey to collect working hours statistics from at least 10 000 employed persons through face-to-face interviews. To enhance the coverage of the survey, the SWHC will also collect at least 1 500 questionnaires from those engaged in occupations or professions with relatively long working hours or distinctive working hours patterns."
Dr Leong added, "As the data collected will be instrumental to the future work of the SWHC and community discussions on working hours, we appeal to the public, if selected, to actively support and take part in the surveys. Furthermore, to enhance public understanding of working hours issues, the SWHC will continue to step up education and promotional activities through various channels including roving exhibitions and distribution of comic books and DVDs. Members of the public are welcome to browse the SWHC website for relevant information."
Details of the 13 consultation forums are provided in the Appendix. The SWHC comprises a Chairperson and 23 members, including 12 serving members (employer and employee representatives) of the Labour Advisory Board. The remaining 11 members come from the labour and business sectors, academia, the community at large and the Government.
Ends/Friday, May 23, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:40
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