Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Labour Department will hold a talk on the employment of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) on November 27 (Tuesday) at 7.30pm at the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library, 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Enrolment is now open.

     The talk will introduce details of employment rights and obligations of employers of FDHs. A representative has also been invited from the Occupational Safety and Health Council to recommend measures relating to occupational safety and health while performing domestic work, so as to assist employers to provide guidance to FDHs and ensure home safety. Employers of FDHs, especially first-time employers, are welcome to attend.

     The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese and admission is free. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the enrolment deadline is November 23. The enrolment form can be downloaded from the department’s website (www.labour.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call 2852 4000. read more

     The election of five employee representatives to the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) for the next two-year term commencing on January 1, 2019, will be held on November 10 (Saturday) at Mei Foo Community Hall, 1/F, Mei Foo Government Complex, 33 Mei Lai Road, Sham Shui Po. The Labour Department received 12 valid nominations of candidates from employee unions registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance during the nomination period from September 17 to October 9.

     The candidates, listed in the order of receipt of nomination forms by the Labour Department, are:

* Mr Tang Ka-piu
Chairman,
Hong Kong Social Workers and Welfare Employees Union

* Mr Leung Chau-ting
Chief Executive Officer,
Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions

* Mr Chau Siu-chung
Secretary,
Hong Kong Storehouses, Transportation & Logistics Staff Association (HKFLU)

* Mr Lee Kwok-keung
Labour Research Department Officer,
Hong Kong & Kowloon Trades Union Council

* Mr Vincent Lam
Chairperson,
Social and Political Organization Workers’ Union

* Mr Cheng Hin-kei
Vice-chairperson,
Social and Political Organization Workers’ Union

* Mr William Shek
Secretary,
Social and Political Organization Workers’ Union

* Mr Li Chi-wang
Committee,
Social and Political Organization Workers’ Union

* Mr Oscar Lo Chun-man
Committee,
Social and Political Organization Workers’ Union

* Mr Li Kwok-wah
Chairman,
Staff Rights Association of KMB

* Mr Charles Chan Yiu-kwong
Chairman,
Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union

* Mr Daniel Lau Yuk-fai
Consultant,
Government Disciplined Services General Union

     A total of 425 employee unions registered as electors have appointed authorised representatives to vote in this election. The electors will soon be informed in writing of the candidate list and detailed proceedings of the election day. Authorised representatives may cast their votes at the polling station at Mei Foo Community Hall, 1/F, Mei Foo Government Complex, between 11am and 4pm on the election day of November 10.

     A representative of the Registry of Trade Unions and the candidates will be present on the election day to supervise the counting of votes. Assistant Commissioner for Labour Mr Raymond Ho will act as Returning Officer.

     The respective lists of candidates and electors with authorised representatives appointed as well as the election rules and procedures are available on the homepage of the Labour Department (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/content.htm). Enquiries on matters relating to this election can be made at 2852 4024.

     The LAB is a tripartite consultative body comprising representatives of employees and employers to advise the Commissioner for Labour on labour matters. read more

     The 2018 Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows will be held from November 19 to December 20 by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. More than 280 orchestras and bands from local primary and secondary schools will participate in the event, which provides an opportunity for students to conduct musical exchanges and gain performing experience through contests for string orchestras, Chinese orchestras, symphonic bands and symphony orchestras. Tickets for the contests are being sold in phases.
 
     A total of 49 orchestras will participate in the String Orchestra Contest, with a total of four sessions to be held at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong City Hall on November 19 and 20.
 
     A total of 101 orchestras will take part in the six classes of the Chinese Orchestra Contest at the Auditorium of the Tuen Mun Town Hall from November 27 to 29.
 
     A total of 89 bands will compete in the six classes of the Symphonic Band Contest at the Arena of Queen Elizabeth Stadium from December 4 to 7. The top two Gold Award Winners of each class (if awarded) will be invited to compete for Grand Champion titles in the primary and secondary school categories at the Winners’ Final on December 8. Under the baton of Professor of Music and Director of Bands of the University of Texas at El Paso, the United States, Dr Bradley Genevro, the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band will perform with Professor of the Royal Northern College of Music in the United Kingdom, Professor Steven Mead, and Misa Mead, as euphonium soloists in the Winners’ Final.
 
     A total of 48 orchestras will take part in the Symphony Orchestra Contest, with a total of four sessions to be held at the Auditorium of the Sha Tin Town Hall on December 19 and 20.
 
     Tickets for the String Orchestra Contest and Symphony Orchestra Contest are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk); those for the Chinese Orchestra Contest will be available from October 27 onwards, and those for the Symphonic Band Contest from November 4. Tickets for each contest are priced at $55. For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2796 7523 (String Orchestra Contest and Symphony Orchestra Contest), 2598 0801 (Chinese Orchestra Contest) or 2158 6467 (Symphonic Band Contest), or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/upcoming/2018hkymi.html. read more

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (October 19) that the application numbers of the 1 500 personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM) applications selected by lot for the 37th exercise have been published on its website (www.td.gov.hk) and posted on the notice boards of the department’s licensing offices.
 
     “The applicants have already been sent an acknowledgement of receipt bearing an application number. They may check the list to see whether their applications have been selected. Applicants will also be notified of the ballot results by post in batches,” a department spokesman said.
 
     The department will later check the proposed PVRMs selected against the basic combination requirements. If, among the selected applications, more than one applicant proposes the same PVRM, only the one on which the lot falls first out of those applications will be further processed.
 
     If the selected PVRMs meet the basic requirements, the department will send notices by registered mail to the applicants in batches, requiring them to pay a deposit of $5,000 within the period specified in the notice. If an applicant fails to pay the deposit within that period, his or her application will be cancelled automatically and will not be further processed.
 
     Upon receipt of the deposit, the Commissioner for Transport will determine, with the assistance of a vetting committee, whether an application should be approved or rejected. PVRMs approved in the 37th exercise will be put up for auction in batches. Auction details will be published in newspapers and on the department’s website in due course.
 
     For enquiries, applicants can call TD Hotline at 2804 2600. read more

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (October 19) launched a 60-day public consultation on the supply of recycled water in Hong Kong. The public consultation will end on December 17.
 
     Recycled water comprises reclaimed water (from the processing of treated effluent from sewage treatment works), treated grey water (from the treatment of used water collected from baths, wash basins, kitchen sinks or similar fitments) and rainwater harvested in housing developments or facilities.
 
     “To cope with the challenges brought about by climate change on water resources, the WSD has been actively exploring new water resources that are not susceptible to climate change, such as recycled water. Taking the opportunity arising from upgrading of Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works to tertiary treatment level by the Drainage Services Department, the WSD plans to further process the treated effluent from the plant to produce reclaimed water, which will be supplied to the north-eastern part of the New Territories, including Sheung Shui and Fanling, to replace fresh water for flushing in the area from 2022 progressively,” a spokesman for the WSD said.

     In view of the plan to supply recycled water in Hong Kong, the WSD is formulating proposals on aspects including the supply, charge and use of recycled water. Public views are invited on the proposals which include the following key items:

(1) Supply of recycled water by the WSD for non-potable uses, such as flushing;
(2) Measures to prevent misuse of the recycled water supplied by the WSD and cross-connections between fresh water supply systems and recycled water supply systems, such as exploring colour-labelling of recycled water;
(3) Charge for use of recycled water supplied by the WSD, such as supplying recycled water for flushing free-of-charge;
(4) Control of the use of recycled water supplied by parties other than the WSD; and
(5) Implementation arrangements of the proposals.

     Members of the public are welcome to send their views to the WSD by email (rewconsultation@wsd.gov.hk), by fax (2802 2579), or by post (Research and Development Unit, Development (2) Division, Development Branch, Water Supplies Department, 46/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong) during the consultation period.

     The consultation document can be downloaded from the WSD’s website (www.wsd.gov.hk/en/pconsultation/recycle.html) and is also available at all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres and WSD’s Customer Enquiry Centres.

     The WSD will hold three public forums to gauge public views on the proposals. The forums will be conducted in Cantonese with simultaneous interpretation in English. Details are as follows:
 

Date	Time	Venue
November 7	7pm to 9pm	Lecture Theatre, 4/F, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
November 15	7pm to 9pm	Leighton Hill Community Hall, 133 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
November 17	7.30pm to 9.30pm	Luen Wo Hui Community Hall, G/F, 9 Wo Mun Street, Luen Wo Hui, Fanling, New Territories

 
     Members of the public who would like to attend the above public forums may reserve seats by calling 3428 5084 during office hours (from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays except public holidays) or completing the reply slip available at the WSD’s website (www.wsd.gov.hk/en/pconsultation/recycle.html) and returning the slip by email (rewconsultation@wsd.gov.hk) or by fax (2802 2579). Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Walk-in registration will also be accepted when there are vacant seats on the spot. read more