Joy Profit International (Asia) Limited and its director were earlier convicted at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts for wage offences and default of awarded sums of the Labour Tribunal (LT) and the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board (MECAB) under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director were also ordered by the court to clear the outstanding LT and MECAB awarded sums of about $34,000 to the employees concerned. The company and its director were fined $40,000 and $10,000 respectively at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (August 12).

     The company failed to pay wages within seven days after the expiry of wage periods and termination of employment, as required by the EO. Also, the company failed to pay employees the awarded sums of about $34,000 within 14 days after the payment dates specified in the awards of the LT and the MECAB.
 
     The director concerned was convicted as the above offences committed by the company were proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, the director.

     "The judgment would disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors, managers, secretaries and other similar officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees in accordance with the EO and the awarded sums according to the terms of the awards issued by the LT and the MECAB," a spokesman for the Labour Department said.

     "The Labour Department will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.

Ends/Friday, August 12, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:42

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