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Five employee representatives nominated by registered employee unions were today (October 25) elected to the Labour Advisory Board (LAB). Upon appointment by the Chief Executive, they will serve on the Board for a two-year term starting from next January.
They are:
* Leung Chau-ting (221 votes)
Chairman, Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions
* Lee Tak-ming (216 votes)
General Secretary, Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council
* Chung Kwok-sing (252 votes)
Chairman, Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union
* Tsui Sai-cheung (328 votes)
Deputy Director, Rights and Benefits Committee of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions
* Ng Wai-yee (296 votes)
Supervisor of Labour Rights, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions
The Commissioner for Labour, also ex-officio chairman of the LAB, Mrs Cherry Tse Ling Kit-ching, congratulated the elected employee representatives.
"The LAB comprises representatives of employees, employers and the Government," said Mrs Tse. "It has been a representative 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 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."
Mrs Tse said she looked forward to working closely with the LAB members in the new term.
At today's election, representatives from 368 registered employee unions turned up to vote and 367 ballot papers were declared valid.
Ends/Saturday, October 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:25
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