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Two directors of Climax Paper Converters, Limited were fined $134,000 today (April 19) at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The company failed to pay wages to two employees within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods and termination of employment as required by the ordinance. The directors were convicted for their consent, connivance or neglect in the wage offences.
According to Section 23 and 25 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the wage period or upon termination of employment shall be paid as soon as practicable, but not later than seven days thereafter. Any employer who fails to do so wilfully and without reasonable excuse commits an offence.
Section 64B of the ordinance stipulates that where any wage offence committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, the director, manager, secretary or other similar officer shall be guilty of a like offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum penalty of a fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.
"The Labour Department does not tolerate wage offences and spares no effort in prosecuting employers and directors or responsible persons of limited companies who defy the law," the spokesman said.
Employees who are owed wages should call the Labour Department's complaint hotline, 2815 2200, immediately.
Ends/Monday, April 19, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:36
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