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Following is the transcript (English portion) of the remarks made by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, on the labour dispute of bus companies this afternoon (August 11):
Reporter: Can you tell me about the dispute of the bus companies? How concerned you are on their future actions? And what role will your department play?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: I am very pleased that the dispute is now over, for the time being. The Labour Department stands ready to promote two-way dialogue between the unions and management. We will do what we can to ensure that the differences could be resolved in the end. I am grateful that both the unions and management adopt a pretty understanding attitude and take account of public interest in general. It is important to take into account public interest. On the way forward, it is important to bear in mind the overall public interest.
Reporter: They also say that they don't have double pay and that the welfare is not good enough for the drivers. Will your department do anything about it if this is a concern?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: I hope people can look forward, rather than look backward, and ensure that there is continued dialogue between the unions and the management. Also, the Labour Department will do what they can to foster harmonious labour relations, not just for the company themselves, but for Hong Kong as a whole.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:30
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