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The Government has earmarked $12 billion since May for a package of relief measures to help the community tide over the present difficulties caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and revive the economy. Of this sum, about $1.1 billion has been allocated for the implementation of employment initiatives.
Addressing the anniversary of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union and the Lu Pan Patron's Day today (July 10), the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Labour), Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said that 500 places were available under the Government's Skills Enhancement Project for employees in the building decoration sector to receive two-month training from July 7.
"This is to help trainees improve their skills and better equip them to re-enter the industry when the economy revives. Trainees will also receive special allowances during the training period," Mr Cheung said.
"Operation Care, co-ordinated by the Social Welfare Department, has created 2,000 job opportunities for semi-skilled construction workers. By July 3, the project has provided minor household repair services to 5,367 families. By giving a helping hand to the needy, it has also fostered social cohesion and mutual assistance among community members," he said.
"To facilitate the inspection and maintenance of drainage pipes on external walls of private residential buildings under Team Clean, the Buildings Department will soon create 48 one-year posts for contract technicians. The department estimates that in the next few months, about 6,300 short-term vacancies in the private sector will be created for construction workers, and another 700 for professional and technical staff under the exercise," he added.
"The Government is putting forward a series of measures to revive the economy. It will also continue to make every effort to improve the business environment and promote Hong Kong to attract investors and tourists. The economy and the employment situation are expected to improve in the medium term," he said.
Mr Cheung said the construction industry's occupational health and safety performance was continuously improving. The number of industrial accidents had dropped by 33.3% from 1,500 in the first quarter of 2002 to 1,000 in the same period this year, while the accident rate per 1,000 workers had also decreased by 20.3% from 78.7 to 60.6.
In the past two years, the accident toll dropped by 32.2% from more than 9,200 in 2001 to about 6,200 in 2002, while the accident rate per 1,000 workers had decreased by 25.7% from 114.6 to 85.2.
"Although the safety and health performance is gradually improving, we must not take this lightly. We should continue to strive to minimise accidents," Mr Cheung said.
He said that workers' occupational health and safety and personal health were like peas in a pod. The construction industry had thousands of industrial accidents every year that brought hardship to employees and their families, as well as harming the economy. Last year, more than $340 million of compensation was paid to injured employees and family members of deceased workers. The number of working days lost was over 450,000.
"Therefore, our common goal is to raise the industry's safety standards in order to minimise injuries and economic loss," he said.
"We are determined to protect the occupational health and safety of employees. We are very concerned about Hong Kong's work safety performance, and have been reducing the number of industrial accidents to improve this through legislation, training and education."
"The Labour Department has been in close partnership with the construction sector for years in enhancing the industry's occupational health and safety performance through joint large-scale promotional activities," Mr Cheung said.
End/Thursday, July 10, 2003
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