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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, on the appointment of the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Stephen Sui, and on standard working hours consultation:
Reporter: Mr Cheung, how would you comment on your new Under Secretary? Why do you think he is suitable for this position?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Well, on Mr Stephen Sui, we have worked together for the last six years and he is an outstanding officer. In fact, he is very well connected with the welfare sector in particular. He is highly respected by the community. I am sure that he will be an outstanding Under Secretary.
Reporter: It is the end of the standard working hours consultation, but the opinions are still widely divided. How can the Government narrow the gap?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Standard working hours is a very complex and very contentious issue. It is highly complex. We need time to build consensus in the community. I think the Standard Working Hours Committee is doing a good job, and is working very hard to stimulate the general understanding of the issue with a view to building consensus. And also, they will be approaching the issue on an evidence-based approach through, for example, a household survey on employees, which is ongoing. So we must give a bit of time for them to work out the whole process. I am sure that at the end of the day there will be a consensus on the way forward.
Reporter: So the Government thinks the consultation ...
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Well, the consultation is ongoing. We must allow the consultation to proceed. In fact, the Committee is doing very good work in terms of stimulating public, general understanding of the issue.
Reporter: Are there any next steps for the Government on the standard working hours issue?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Well, the next step is for the Committee to get on with its work. In fact, both the working groups on "Working Hours Consultation" and "Working Hours Study" will each make a full report to the Committee by the end of this year. And then the Committee would take the whole thing forward. They would need time to deliberate the way forward. Give them a bit of time.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, July 31, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:36
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