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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, on the Standard Working Hours Committee and the container terminal labour dispute today (April 9):
On Standard Working Hours Committee
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Secretary for Labour and Welfare: I just want to announce that the Standard Working Hours Committee has been formally launched today and I am very very pleased that Dr C H Leong has accepted the invitation of the Chief Executive to become its Chairperson. The Committee comprises altogether 24 members, including the Chairman. In fact, the core group of its members comes from the Labour Advisory Board. In other words, all the 12 members of the Labour Advisory Board, including six employee members and six employer members will be on the Committee in an ex-officio capacity. In other words, by virtue of the position on the Labour Advisory Board. At the same time, there will be one each individual in their personal capacity from the labour sector and also from the business community. Other than that, there will be three members each from the academia, from the community sector and also from government itself. Of the three government representatives, one will be my Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, one will be Commissioner for Labour and the third one will be the Government Economist. As we all know, Dr Leong is a very experienced community leader. He is very knowledgeable and professional in many fields, particularly very knowledgeable in government advisory work at the high level. He is formerly an Executive Council Member, Chairman of the Hospital Authority and more recently we worked very happily together on the Elderly Commission. He was Chairman of the Elderly Commission for six years altogether. So I am pretty sure that we can leave the Committee in the very skillful hands of Dr Leong, steering the very important task ahead.
Basically, the Committee has three important missions. The first mission is to follow up on the Policy Study completed by the Labour Department last June. A very comprehensive document on the pros and cons on the experience elsewhere on standard working hours and that would provide a solid foundation on which the Committee can launch its work. The second mission is, of course, to stimulate community-wide discussion on this very complex subject of working hours. Finally, of course, is to recommend to the Chief Executive the way forward - whether we should legislate on standard working hours in Hong Kong or whether there are other better, viable alternatives. I am sure that under the very skillful chairmanship of Dr Leong, the Committee will discharge its mission successfully within the three years' term. The Labour Department will provide secretariat support to the Committee and we expect it to meet very shortly.
Reporter: (legislation on standard working hours)
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: We would keep an open mind on this very important issue of legislation. As Dr Leong said, standard working hour is a very very complex issue. We need to thoroughly deliberate in the community, we need to consider very very carefully, weigh all the pros and cons. The mission of the Committee is to chart the way forward and identify the way ahead, which is the best option to Hong Kong.
On container terminal labour dispute
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Secretary for Labour and Welfare: As a result of our shuttling among various parties over the last few days, my colleagues in the Labour Department and myself have tried our very very best to set up a conciliation meeting as soon as possible, I am very happy to say that the first meeting will take place tomorrow at 10 o'clock in our Kwai Chung Labour Relations Office in Kwai Hing Government Offices. The arrangements for the meeting have now been generally agreed by all parties concerned, so there is no dispute over the arrangements. Two contractors will take part in the meeting, along with representatives from HIT in attendance. Let me make it very clear that HIT representatives will be in attendance throughout the meeting. I appeal to all parties concerned to really seize this opportunity, make the best use of this opportunity to talk sincerely and frankly, iron out the differences, narrow the differences, and display a spirit of compromise and mutual understanding with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution in the end. It is very important that solution must be in the interest not only of employees and workers, not only in the interest of the companies concerned and contractors, but also in the overall interest of Hong Kong. It is very very important because the port itself is very important to Hong Kong's economy. And also, because during the past few days, there have been suggestions from unions and legislators in Hong Kong and various parties that why don't we take the opportunity to really iron out all the differences, tackle the concerns of various unions working at the terminal. It is because at the moment, there are five different unions operating at the terminal that belong to three major union federations. I attempted to bring everybody together but it is difficult to reach a consensus. So the arrangement is tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the morning, the first meeting will be with CTU (Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions) and the unions concerned, of course, plus Labour Department in the chair, HIT representatives in attendance and two contractors will be present. In the afternoon, 2.30pm, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and also the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions representing their own unions working at the terminal will attend a different session. In other words, there will be two platforms/forums for various parties to really sit down, talk frankly and sincerely, and as I said, in a spirit of mutual understanding and compromise. I hope that these vehicles would provide an environment in which to reach a satisfactory conclusion at the end.
Reporter: Would the Government ask HIT to take on a more active role in these sessions? If not, why?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: As I said, I have actually been doing my very best over the past few days. I have seen the management of Hutchison Whampoa as well as HIT itself. I have met the contractors. I have been in touch with the union leaders concerned. Everybody is involved. I hope that these arrangements will provide a good starting point. At the end of the day I hope we can reach an ideal solution acceptable to everybody.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:40
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