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The levels of compensation for employees injured in work accidents or suffering from occupational diseases including pneumoconiosis and mesothelioma, or family members of deceased employees for deaths so caused, as well as those suffering from occupational deafness will be increased on July 21.
The Legislative Council today (July 17) passed three resolutions to increase the amount of a total of 15 compensation items under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance and the Occupational Deafness Compensation Ordinance in accordance with the findings of a new round of review. The revised levels of compensation will take effect from July 21, 2012.
"The compensation levels are normally adjusted every two years in line with the wage and price movements," a Labour Department spokesperson said. However, a three-year review for 2009-2011 was conducted as against the very special circumstances of the substantive wage growth brought by the implementation of the statutory minimum wage (SMW) since May 2011, and also the rising trend in price level and funeral expenses in the period. The Government has made a special arrangement to further review the wage and price movements as well as the funeral expenses in 2011, and revisit the changes in the relevant indicators in the three years of 2009-2011 to take into account the effect of the implementation of SMW.
Details of the revised levels of compensation under the three ordinances made in accordance with the findings of the 2009-2011 review are available in the Appendix.
The commencement of the new levels of compensation can bring benefits to injured employees, persons with occupational diseases or their family members.
Ends/Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Issued at HKT 23:51
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