********************************************************
The Labour Department has warned school leavers and summer job-seekers to beware employment traps and offered them advice on labour laws and occupational safety matters.
The Labour Department, the Police and the Consumer Council held a joint press briefing today (June 6) to offer tips for these job-seekers.
"When looking for jobs, school leavers and summer job-seekers should be realistic and cautious. They should beware dubious recruitment advertisements, especially for highly paid positions requiring barely any skills or academic qualifications," Senior Labour Officer (Employment Information and Promotion) Mr Danny Lau Yan-kuen said.
"Before signing an employment contract, they should make sure that they understand and accept all the terms. They must decline jobs that may involve unlawful or immoral behaviour," he said.
"They must think carefully before accepting any demands from an employer to pay fees, such as registration fees and administration fees, or cash payment for training, investment or purchase of goods," he stressed.
"They should immediately consult their parents, teachers or appropriate authorities such as the Police and the Consumer Council if they have any doubts or problems," he said.
Stressing that summer job workers are also protected by the Employment Ordinance, Acting Senior Labour Officer (Workplace Consultation Promotion) Mr Raymond Liang said that all employees covered by the ordinance had basic rights and benefits conferred by the ordinance irrespective of their working hours. "These include payment of wages, restrictions on wage deductions and granting of statutory holidays."
He also reminded job-seekers that any term of an employment contract that purported to extinguish or reduce any right, benefit or protection conferred upon the employee by the Employment Ordinance was invalid. Also, if an employee was not paid wages within seven days of the expiry of a wage period or termination of employment contract, he should approach the nearby branch office of the Labour Relations Division for assistance.
At the press briefing, representatives from the Police and the Consumer Council gave details of certain common job traps, such as "Shell Company Fraud", "Pyramid Selling Related Fraud", "Modelling Fraud" and "Loco-London Gold Fraud", to alert job-seekers not to fall into employment scams.
Job-seekers are also advised to pay particular attention to occupational safety and health to avoid work injuries.
"They should carefully assess their own capabilities before taking up a job and pay close attention to the work environment to identify possible hazards," Deputy Chief Occupational Safety Officer (Promotion) Mr Yam Kim-cheung said.
"They should follow the safety guidelines provided by their employers to prevent work injuries."
Mr Yam said that the most common accidents involving summer job workers were the result of striking against objects, injuries by hand tools, or contact with hot surfaces or substances.
"Those who work in catering establishments should exercise extra care to avoid work injuries as they might be required to work on a slippery floor, use sharp knives or come into contact with hot cooking equipment.
"Potentially hazardous jobs such as those involving the operation of woodworking and dangerous machinery or the handling of chemicals may not be suitable for school leavers or summer job-seekers, who are inexperienced and have not received proper training," Mr Yam said.
Under the law, people under 18 years of age are not allowed to operate any power-driven lifting appliances or loadshifting machinery, or to give signals to the drivers of such lifting appliances. They are also not allowed to work on suspended working platforms or inside confined spaces.
The law also forbids untrained people under the age of 18 to work on construction sites.
The Labour Department has published a number of booklets on employment traps, labour legislation and occupational safety. They can be obtained from the department's branch offices or downloaded from its website at http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/index.htm.
Ends/Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:47
NNNN
