Sing Pao Newspaper Management Limited was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages, payment in lieu of notice, long service payment, annual leave pay and/or the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) to seven employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company was convicted at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (February 9) and fined a total of $110,000. The company was also ordered by the court to compensate six of the employees a total outstanding sum of about $936,000.
The company failed to pay to seven employees wages, payment in lieu of notice, long service payment and/or annual leave pay totalling about $655,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods or termination of employment as required by the EO. Also, the company failed to pay six employees the awarded sum of about $936,000 within 14 days after the date set by the LT in accordance with the requirement of the EO.
"The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers that they have to pay wages, payment in lieu of notice, long service payment and annual leave pay to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO, as well as the sums awarded 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.
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