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Dickson Construction Company Limited was fined $114,000 for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (May 19). The prosecution was taken out by the Labour Department.
A spokesman for the Labour Department said employers had a statutory responsibility to pay wages on time in accordance with the Employment Ordinance. "The Labour Department conducted an investigation earlier about suspected wage offences involving Dickson Construction Company Limited," he said.
"Evidence showed that the company failed to pay wages to its employees wilfully and without reasonable excuse within the statutory time limit. Thus, the Labour Department prosecuted the employer for breaching the wage provisions in the Employment Ordinance.
"The Labour Department takes a serious view of wage defaults. In addition to raising the maximum penalty of wage offences, we will continue with our inspection and vigorous enforcement.
"Should there be sufficient evidence, we will certainly prosecute the offender so as to protect the rights and benefits of employees. Employers should not defy the law," he said.
A total of 141 summonses for wage offences in the construction industry resulted in convictions last year, up 22% over the figure of 116 for the previous year. In the first four months of this year, 63 convictions against wage offences were secured in the construction sector, up 13% over 56 in the same period last year.
According to Section 23 and 25 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period and upon termination of employment must be paid as soon as practicable within seven days. Any employer who fails to do so wilfully and without reasonable excuse commits an offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.
The spokesman urged employees who were owed wages to call the department's complaints hotline on 2815 2200 immediately.
Ends/Friday, May 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:30
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