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The following is issued on behalf of the Standard Working Hours Committee:
The Standard Working Hours Committee (SWHC) held its ninth meeting today (September 26). The SWHC considered the progress reports of its two working groups (WGs) on Working Hours Consultation and Working Hours Study.
The Chairperson of the SWHC, Dr Leong Che-hung, said after the meeting, "During the public engagement and consultation on working hours held between January 28 and July 31, the SWHC has organised and taken part in 40 consultation activities of various forms, and received some 4 800 written submissions. The opinion survey on sampled members of employers' associations and trade unions will also be completed by end-September.
"On working hours study, the large-scale household survey to collect working hours statistics from over 10 000 employed persons through face-to-face interviews was completed at the end of August, while the collection of self-administered questionnaires from employees of professions or occupations with relatively long working hours or distinctive working hours patterns to supplement the findings of the household survey will be completed by end-September."
Dr Leong added, "The meeting today has endorsed the frameworks of the two WGs' reports. In collaboration with the consultants responsible for the public consultation and working hours surveys, the two WGs are pressing ahead with their work at full steam and aim to submit their reports to the SWHC by the end of this year. Based on the findings of the reports, the SWHC will deliberate on and formulate its further work."
The SWHC comprises a Chairperson and 23 members, including 12 serving members (employer and employee representatives) of the Labour Advisory Board. The remaining 11 members come from the labour and business sectors, academia, the community at large and the Government.
Ends/Friday, September 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:15
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