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Kar Poa Motor Service Centre Company Limited and Mr Wong Chi-lup, an employer of a construction company, were fined $30,000 and $10,000 respectively at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (May 30) for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
Kar Poa Motor Service Centre Company Limited failed to pay wages to an employee within seven days of the expiry of the wage period and the termination of employment. The amount of wages involved was about $16,000.
Mr Wong failed to pay wages to five employees within seven days of the termination of employment. The amount of wages involved was about $38,000.
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, 2815 2200.
Ends/Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:06
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