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Five employee representatives nominated by registered employee unions were today (November 4) elected to the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) for a term of two years starting from next January.
They are:
* Mr Leung Chau-ting (200 votes)
Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions
* Mr Ip Wai-ming (303 votes)
Deputy General Secretary of the Staffs & Workers Union of Hong Kong Civil Airlines
* Mr Chung Kwok-sing (196 votes)
General Secretary of the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union
* Ms Ng Wai-yee (248 votes)
Deputy President of the Hong Kong Clerical Employees General Union
* Mr Lee Tak-ming (187 votes)
Director, Education Department of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Trades Union Council
The Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, and also chairman of the LAB, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, congratulated the elected employee representatives.
Mr Cheung said, "The LAB comprises representatives of employees, employers and the Government. It has been the highest-level tripartite consultative body on labour matters since 1946. It plays a pivotal role in the formulation of labour laws and policies.
"The LAB provides a forum for employers and employees to discuss important labour matters on an equal footing and enables the Government to effectively tap the views of its social partners. As a general practice, the Government consults the LAB and seeks consensus on proposed labour legislation before their introduction into the legislature.
"Over the past decades, the LAB has given constructive and valuable advice on a wide range of complex and important labour issues, covering employment services, employees' compensation, labour relations, implementation of international labour Conventions, and occupational safety and health. As a result, the Government has been able to formulate policies and enact legislation that steadily improve the health, safety and welfare of employees, while striking a balance between the interests of employers and employees."
Mr Cheung said he looked forward to working with the LAB members in the new term.
The LAB comprises 12 members. Five employee representatives are returned through election by registered employee unions while five employer representatives are nominated by employer associations. The remaining employee representative and employer representative are appointed directly by the Government.
At today's election, representatives from 345 registered employee unions turned out to vote and 341 ballot papers were declared valid.
Ends/Saturday, November 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:25
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