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Evergreen (FIC) Contracting Limited and a construction contractor, Mr Chick Kwok-kay, were fined $14,000 and $12,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (May 22) for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
Evergreen (FIC) Contracting Limited failed to pay wages to two employees within seven days of the expiry of the wage period and the termination of employment. The amount of wages involved was $31,000. Mr Chick failed to pay wages of about $26,000 to an employee. The two employers had already paid the outstanding wages to the employees before the start of the trials.
According to Section 23 and 25 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period or upon termination of employment shall be paid as soon as practicable, but not later than seven days.
A spokesman for the Labour Department stressed that the maximum penalty for wage offences had been raised from March 30 this year - the fine going up from $200,000 to $350,000 and imprisonment from one year to three years.
The spokesman urged employees who were owed wages to report immediately to the department's complaints hotline on 2815 2200.
Ends/Monday, May 22, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:07
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