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The Labour Department has revoked the employment agency licence of "The Best Employment Agency Company" after the operator was found not a fit and proper person to operate an employment agency.
"In an employment claim lodged at the Labour Tribunal by a foreign domestic helper, the licensee of the agency served as a witness and was found to have given inconsistent testimony, a Labour Department spokesman said. After an investigation, the department obtained evidence which showed that the licensee had assisted in arranging underpayment of wages to the foreign domestic helper. The licensee had also been involved in advising the helper to accept underpaid wages and abetting the helper to give false information to prospective employers.
"The Commissioner for Labour revoked the licence on the grounds that the licensee was not a fit and proper person to operate an employment agency."
"Operators of employment agencies should give proper advice about employment terms offered by employers to their employees including foreign domestic helpers. They should not abet employers to pay wages less than the Minimum Allowable Wage or benefits less than the statutory provisions," the spokesman said.
Under the Employment Ordinance, the Commissioner for Labour may refuse to issue or renew, or may revoke a licence if the employment agency operator has contravened any provision of Part XII of the said Ordinance or the Employment Agency Regulations, or if he has been convicted of an offence involving membership of a triad society, fraud, dishonesty or extortion, or for any other reason, he is not a fit and proper person to operate an employment agency.
If people have any enquiries or complaints against employment agencies concerning unlicensed operation or overcharging of commission, they may call the department's Employment Agencies Administration on 2852 3535 or approach its office at 12/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong.
Ends/Saturday, May 13, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:54
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