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CHAPTER
2
THE LABOUR
DEPARTMENT
2.1 The Labour Department is the
principal agency in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Government responsible for the execution and co-ordination of
major labour administration functions. As at 31 December 2002,
the department administered 13 sets of labour legislation.Figure
2.1
Vision, Mission and Values
Our Vision
2.2 To be a leading labour administrator
in the region—our aim is to enhance the well-being of our
workforce progressively and promote the safety and health of those
at work.
Our Mission
2.3
- To improve the utilisation of human resources
by providing a range of employment services to meet changes
and needs in the labour market;
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- To ensure that risks to people's safety and
health at work are properly managed by legislation, education
and promotion;
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- To foster harmonious labour relations through
promotion of good employment practices and resolution
of labour disputes; and
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- To improve and safeguard employees' rights
and benefits in an equitable manner.
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Our Values
2.4 We believe in:
Key Programme Areas
2.5 The department has four key
areas of work, namely, Labour Relations, Safety and Health at
Work, Employment Services, and Employee Rights and Benefits. The
objectives of these areas are given below:
Labour Relations
- To foster and maintain harmonious employer
and employee relations in the non-government sector.
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Safety and Health at Work
- To help employers and employees control their
risks at work through regulation and promotion.
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Employment Services
- To provide free employment assistance and
counselling services to help job-seekers find suitable
jobs and employers fill their vacancies.
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Employee Rights and Benefits
- To improve and safeguard the rights and benefits
of employees.
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2.6 Detailed functions and major
activities of these programme areas are contained in the following
chapters.
Central Support Services
2.7 The Administration Division
assumes the primary responsibility for financial, personnel and
general resources management.
2.8 The Information and Public Relations
Division is responsible for the department's overall publicity
and public relations activities. It projects a positive image
of the department through the extensive use of the news media.
It also co-ordinates the production of major departmental publications.
2.9 The Development Division oversees
matters relating to the application of international labour instruments,
participation in International Labour Organization activities,
and liaison with overseas and international bodies. The division
manages the departmental library and conducts studies to support
policy development. The division also serves as the secretariat
of the Labour Advisory Board to provide administrative support
and services to the Board.
2.10 The Prosecutions Division and
the Legal Services Division help enforce relevant legislation
by instituting prosecutions against suspected offenders. Major
statistics on prosecution work are at Figure
2.2.
2.11 The Staff Training and Development
Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre
organise and co-ordinate training and development activities for
staff of the Labour Administration Branch and the Occupational
Safety and Health Branch respectively.
2.12 An organisation chart of the
Labour Department is set out at Figure
2.3.
Work Simplification
2.13 In 2002, 100 staff suggestions
were received to streamline work procedures and improve efficiency.
Customer-oriented Services
2.14 Performance standards and
targets are laid down for a wide range of services. A Customer
Liaison Group has been formed to collect feedback from users.
Advisory Boards and Committees
2.15 Various advisory boards and
committees provide expert advice on labour matters and provide
a useful forum for the department's consultation work. The most
important one is the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) which is set
up to advise the Commissioner for Labour on matters affecting
labour, including legislation and Conventions and Recommendations
of the International Labour Organization. The terms of reference
and composition of the LAB and its membership for the year 2002
are in Figure 2.4.
| INDEX
| FORWARD |
CHAPTER 1 |
CHAPTER 2 |
CHAPTER 3 |
| CHAPTER 4 |
CHAPTER 5 |
CHAPTER 6 |
CHAPTER 7 |
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