The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the work accident that happened at a construction site in Tin Shui Wai this afternoon (October 11), in which a male worker while working inside the hoistway of a material hoist, fell from 4/F to 2/F as the receptacle descended suddenly. He was certified dead in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker in the accident and expresses its deepest sympathy to the victim's family.

     The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and have issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned to suspend the use of the material hoist involved and the work inside the hoistway of the hoist. The contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk have been taken."

     The spokesman added, "We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."

     The general duty provisions of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, safe plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     In regard to today's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. If family members of the deceased have financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

     Hong Kong Customs today (October 11) arrested a female person-in-charge of a beauty parlour suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices involving misleading omission in the sale of beauty service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that a female person-in-charge of a beauty parlour in Lai Chi Kok misled a customer to believe that a beauty treatment was charged at a certain sum. After undergoing the beauty treatment, the customer was requested to pay an amount which was 5 times different from expected.

     After investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 33-year-old woman.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.

     Under the TDO, any trader who engages in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides material information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, today (October 11) attended the Caixin Roundtable meeting in Bali, Indonesia, and met with US government financial officials and representatives of the banking sector.

     At the Roundtable, Mr Chan spoke on its theme, "Financial Opening-up: The Engine of New Reformation"，and focused on how Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, can contribute to the opening up of the Mainland's financial market and assist enterprises in grasping the development opportunities in the Mainland. Drawing the participation of government officials, academics and representatives of the business sector, the Roundtable was held to discuss the opening up of the global financial market and its innovation and reformation.
 
     Before that, Mr Chan met with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, Mr Jerome Powell, to exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

     Mr Chan also met with representatives of the banking sector and discussed on global and Kong Kong economic outlook.
 
     Tomorrow (October 12), Mr Chan will attend the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group as a member of the Chinese delegation.

      

     Evergrow Hospitality Limited and its two directors were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay employees' wages, annual leave pay and defaulting on a sum awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its two directors pleaded guilty at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and were fined a total sum of $84,000 today (October 11). They were also ordered to pay a sum of about $57,000 via the Courts to the employees.

     The company failed to pay four employees' wages and annual leave pay totaling about $58,000 within seven days after the expiry of wage periods and termination of employment.  The two directors concerned were convicted for their consent, connivance or neglect in the above offence.

     Also, the company failed to pay awarded sums of about $29,000 to two employees within 14 days after the specified payment dates of the LT awards. One of the directors concerned was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offence.

     â€‹"The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay employees wages and annual leave pay within the time limitin accordance with the EO and awarded sums according to the terms of awards issued by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board.The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," a spokesman for the LD said.

     The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident that occurred in Tin Shui Wai this afternoon (October 11), in which a worker died.

     The LD immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receiving a report of the accident, and is now conducting an investigation to look into its cause.