Workers stage sit-in over redundancy cash
A DISPUTE over redundancy payouts to 600 workers from two dyeing factories due to close at the end of the month remained unresolved after two hours of talks yesterday.
More than 100 workers took their cases to the Labour Department in Central yesterday morning, saying that directors of Winsor Industrial - owners of Pacific and South China Dyeing Factories - had refused to speak to them directly.
While department officials tried to arrange talks the workers staged a sit-in on the patio outside the Labour Department offices in the Harbour Building.
The workers said the compensation terms were 'too mean', although they were in line with statutory requirements.
They want up to 50 per cent more.
Winsor Industrial was trying to make more than $800 million by selling the land occupied by the factories, they claimed.
Mr Choi Chap-hung, a representative of the workers at the Pacific Dyeing Factory said: 'The company has made nearly $400 million from the factories in the past, and the workers have spent their life there.
'In a lean period like this, I hope the owners could stretch out a helping hand to see the workers through,' he added.
However, Lam Woon-bun, executive director of Winsor Industrial, said that their terms were reasonable. 'Even the workers admitted that the terms we offered are better than that stated under labour regulations,' he said.
'We understand the workers' plight, but we also have to take care of other aspects - such as the benefit of the shareholders,' Mr Lam said.
Mr Lam branded claims that the firm was making $800 million by selling the land as nonsense.
He refused to disclose the amount of compensation Winsor Industrial offered to pay.
The directors said they would take the employees' requests to their board for consideration.
The talks continue on Friday.
