Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Hong Kong

The International Labour Standards adopted by Hong Kong before the return of sovereignty to China continue to apply. Hong Kong has sent a tripartite team to the International Labour Conference each year since 1997. The SAR regularly participates in regional meetings, seminars and workshops. Currently, Hong Kong applies 47 ILO Conventions.

The Hong Kong Labour Department (HKLD) provides services and information to workers and educates workers and employers on the local employment ordinances through public announcements, publications, seminars and workshops. It covers the areas of labour relations, safety and health at work, employment services and employee rights and benefits. It publishes over 30 free informational pamphlets and booklets on the employment ordinance and related enforcement.

Hong Kong has recently launched the "Workplace Cooperation 2002" Campaign. The purpose of the event is to enhance the understanding of employers' and employees' on their rights and obligations under the labour laws, and to help them understand how to adopt effective communication and good people management practices so as to maintain harmonious labour relations. A similar program in 2000 had over 7,000 participants.

ILO continues to provide expert and advisory support to promote labour reporting and social dialogue. The ILO regularly provides technical support for government employee training. A country training program on labour dispute settlement is frequently conducted by ILO experts.


Opportunities for Men and Women to Secure Decent Employment in Hong Kong

The Employment Services Division of the HKLD provides assistance to help unemployed workers find employment. The Department recently initiated an interactive job service over the internet. It has held numerous demonstrations and exhibitions to inform the public about the service. At least 9 employment centres provide one-stop service for job seekers. It also includes information on jobs in the mainland and it provides specific services for newcomers. Its services are free to the public.

The Employment Services Division has developed a job matching programme to provide intensive employment counseling and job matching services. Between April 1995 to December 2000, the program had registered over 66,000 job seekers and secured 46,535 jobs.

The Labour Department is currently focusing on programs targeting youth and workers over 40 years of age. The policy's targets include upgrading employee's skills and providing assistance to the unemployed to help them re-enter the workforce as soon as possible.

A related program is one that targets retrenched workers. The Outreaching Placement Service is specifically designed to address the issues of employees in large scale retrenchments.

The Department also has numerous programs targeting youth workers. The Government first tackled the issue of youth employment in September 1999. One program focuses on the group between the ages of 15 and 19 and seeks to provide skills to prepare them for the world of work. The Program provides a wide range of pre-employment training courses on discipline, interpersonal skills, computer application and job skills. It also assists in career development. Once the pre-employment skills training is complete, the Department assists in placing the youth employees in short term work assignments. To date, approximately 12,000 youth have been trained under the program, some have gone on to additional training while most have secured employment. The placement rate under the program is about 80 percent.

ILO is developing a country program on "Development of Quality Human Resource Management Practices for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises."


Enhance Coverage and Effectiveness of Social Protection in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Occupational Safety Service enforces Hong Kong's Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance. Their activities include inspection of facilities, investigation of accidents and violations, free advice on OSH planning and management and OSH education.

It is responsible for the Occupational Health and Safety Training Centre, which provides free training courses to employers and employees from accident prevention to first aid. Train the trainer courses are provided along with certification courses. The Centre has accredited at least 17 organizations to give basic safety training courses and certified over 300,000 people. The centre held 427 training courses with 5,848 participants in 2000.

The Occupational Safety Charter was established in 1996. It clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of the government, workers and employers in accident prevention. It also includes a management framework for employers and employees to use to facilitate cooperation. Enterprises are encouraged to support the Charter by becoming a signatory. According to the Department's 2000 Annual report, 510 organizations had signed onto the Charter by the end of 2000. Publicity campaigns have also been used to target the OSH practices in specific industries.

Hong Kong continues to see a downward trend in workplace accidents. There were 28,518 industrial accidents reported in 2001, a drop of 15.3 percent. The biggest improvement was in the construction industry, which experienced a 22 percent drop.

It has recently begun a program to raise occupational safety and health in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It was organized jointly by the Labour Department and the Social Welfare Department. The program recruits volunteers from within SMEs to organize and give educational workshops on OSH issues.The Department also produces numerous codes of practice and guidelines on OSH issues.

Inspection activities play an important role in the Department's activities. In 2000, occupational safety officers conducted 144,651 inspections. The officers also conduct surprise audits to ensure compliance with OSH rules.

ILO is planning a workshop on "OSH Management in Enterprises" in conjunction with the ILO Turin Center.

Tripartism and Social Dialogue in Hong Kong

Hong Kong continues to promote direct and voluntary negotiation and dialogue at the industry level. In their 2000 Annual Report, the Labour Department reported establishing 8 tripartite committees in the areas of catering, construction, theatre, warehouse and cargo transport, property management, printing, hotel and tourism, and cement and concrete industries.

The SAR also promotes bipartite dialogue by rewarding companies with good people management programs and results with a "Good People Management Award."

ILO works closely with the Labour Department, which has several programs that promote bipartism between employers and unions and between employers and non-union employees. Because there are numerous organizations that represent the interests of employers and workers, the ILO works mostly with the Labor Advisory Board (LAB).

LAB is organized by the Department of Labour and includes representatives from government, labor and employers. It is chaired by the Commissioner for Labour and advises the Commissioner on labour legislation and the application of International labour conventions. Employers and workers are evenly represented on the Board. LAB is divided into specialized committees of which one deals with the implementation of International Labour Standards.

The Trade Unions Ordinance requires that all trade unions register with the Department of Labour. As of 2000, 594 trade unions were registered with membership totaling 673,375. The Labour Relations Ordinance provides the procedures for settling labour disputes in the non-government sector. The Labour Relations Ordinance allows multiple steps to be used to resolve disputes such as conciliation, mediation or arbitration.

The HKLD also provides educational courses to unions. It has recently launched Workplace Cooperation 2002, which focuses on both educating employers and employees on labour laws and promoting better communication. ILO is working to implement a country program on "In-depth Skill Training on Conciliation and Mediation."