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SCMP Reporter

A COMPROMISE package of long service and severance payments will be presented to the Labour Advisory Board by the Government in the hope of ending the controversy sparked by the resignation of unionist legislator Lau Chin-shek.

  The package could go before the board as early as next week.

  In the meantime, the Democratic Party's central committee last night set about persuading Mr Lau to rescind his resignation, and urged other Legislative Councillors to do likewise.

  They would also press Governor Chris Patten to allow the three ex-official members in Legco to support Mr Lau's proposed amendment to the Employment (Amendment) Bill.

  Mr Lau and three Democrats, including party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming and vice-chairmen Yeung Sum and Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, have arranged to meet Mr Patten on Tuesday.

  Secretary for Education and Manpower Leung Man-kin said he hoped that the Labour Advisory Board would be able to agree to a compromise.

  Mr Leung said: 'We hope that its employer representatives will be able to take into account the overall interest of the community.

  'Any further delay of enacting the bill will be unfair to workers.'   Mr Leung withdrew the Government's bill from the council after an amendment by Mr Lau raising the limits on workers' benefits was passed.

  The official declined to specify details of the new proposals to be put to the board, but hinted that they were working towards a compromise over the upper limit of payments.

  On Wednesday, legislators passed by 25 to 24 Mr Lau's proposed amendment to lift the upper limit from the government proposed $180,000 to $230,000.

 Mr Leung said the $180,000 ceiling was already a hard-earned compromise between representatives from employees and employers.

  Mr Leung said separate private member's bills had been submitted by legislators Tam Yiu-chung and Michael Ho Mun-kar.

  Mr Ho, a Democrat, has modelled his bill along Mr Lau's proposal. It is expected to be tabled for the first and second reading next month.

  The Democrats had earlier lent their support to the resignation of Mr Lau.

  However, Mr Lee said the party took note of the strong support from the community for Mr Lau to continue to serve in Legco.

  Mr Lau, who did not attend last night's meeting, said he would consider the whole issue at the weekend.

  Mr Patten, who returned from Japan last night, said he hoped Mr Lau would change his mind. But 'if he resigns, there will be a by-election and life will go on', he said at Kai Tak.

  Mr Patten insisted that the problem between the administration and the legislature was not unique in Hong Kong.

  'We are not a unique case when the Government has to be an effective government on one hand and with accountability on the other,' he said.

  The six employees' representatives are seeking a meeting with Mr Leung early next month.

  Leung Fu-wah of the left-wing Federation of Trade Unions said they would seek an assurance from the Government that it would put forward a better proposal and take the initiative to persuade employers to accept the proposal.

  'We have gone through painful discussions with the employers on the previous bill. We don't want to start another if the chance to get a better one is slim . . . It will be a waste of time,' he said.

  Newly elected member Leung Tsz-leung from the right-wing Trade Unions Council said they would urge the Government to look into the powers and functions of the labour board.



Compromise in bid to end Lau dispute