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George Chu Ka-cheung, trading as Hong Yip Logistics, was today (January 24) fined $19,000 at the Tsuen Wan Magistrates' Courts for wage and holiday pay offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The court heard that Chu failed to pay wages to two employees within seven days of the expiry of the wage period. The employer also failed to grant the holiday pay of Ching Ming Festival, Labour Day and Tuen Ng Festival to two employees in accordance with the ordinance.
According to Section 23 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period should be paid as soon as practicable, but not later than seven days.
Any employer who fails to do so without reasonable excuse is liable to a maximum fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.
According to Section 40 of the Employment Ordinance, an employee employed under a continuous contract for not less than three months immediately before a statutory holiday is entitled to holiday pay. Holiday pay should be paid to the employee not later than the day on which he is next paid his wages after that statutory holiday.
Any employer who fails to do so is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000.
The Labour Department urged employees who were owed wages to call its complaint hotline, 2815 2200.
Ends/Thursday, January 24, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:33
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