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The Labour Department is inviting employee unions registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance to register as electors and to nominate candidates for the coming Labour Advisory Board election of employee representatives.
"Registration and nomination start today and will close on October 9," a spokesman for the department said today (September 25).
The current term of service of the board members will expire on December 31 this year. An election of five employee representatives to the board for its next two-year tenure will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on November 4.
Employee unions registered under the ordinance as at September 25 are eligible to register as electors and to appoint authorised representatives to vote on the Election Day. Each union can nominate not more than five candidates to run for the election.
"We sent out registration and nomination forms as well as copies of the rules and procedures for the election to these employee unions today," the spokesman said.
As regards employee unions registered under the ordinance between tomorrow (September 26) and October 6, the department will send relevant forms and documents to them in due course so that they can also register as electors.
Meanwhile, the department has invited five employer associations to nominate one representative each to sit for the next tenure of the board. They are the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Nominations should reach the department by October 9.
Enquiries on all the election-related matters can be made to the Secretariat of the advisory board at 2852 4024.
The board is a tripartite consultative body which advises the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour on matters affecting labour. It comprises 12 members, six representing employees and six representing employers. Of them, five employee representatives are returned through election by employee unions while five employer representatives are nominated by employer associations. The remaining employee representative and employer representative are directly appointed by the Government. The Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour is the ex-officio chairman.
Ends/Monday, September 25, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:01
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