Company and its director and responsible officer fined for default of wages and Labour Tribunal awarded payment

     KCW & Associates Pty Limited and its director and responsible officer were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay an employee wages and defaulting on the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) as required by the Employment Ordinance (EO). All the three defendants pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (October 15) and were fined a total of $130,000 (the company and the director were fined $50,000 each and the responsible officer was fined $30,000).

     The company failed to pay to an employee wages totalling $80,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods and termination of employment as required by the EO. Also, the company failed to pay the employee the awarded sum of about $90,000 within 14 days after the specified payment date of the LT award. The director and responsible officer were convicted for their consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.

     "The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and other responsible officers of companies that they have to pay employees wages within the time limit in accordance with the EO and awarded sums according to the terms of the awards issued by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board" a spokesman for the LD said.

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