Company and its director fined $150,000 for contravening Employment Ordinance
South Pacific Airlines Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay employees' wages and the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty earlier at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and were each fined $75,000 today (December 24), making a total fine of $150,000. The company and its director were also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $4 million to the employees concerned.
The company failed to pay four employees wages totalling about $1.3 million as required by the EO, and five employees the awarded sum of about $4 million, within 14 days after the date set by the LT. The director was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
"The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and pay the awarded sums as ordered by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board," a spokesman for the LD said.
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"The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.