Introducing two new public holidays would be of no bene fit if they simply replaced two of the current 17 days off, a unionist said yesterday.
Ousted legislator Lee Cheuk-yan said the proposal would bring about unnecessary disputes between employers and staff, and disrupt longstanding social habits.
The Executive Council agreed to make Buddha's Birthday - the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar - a public holiday from 1999. May 1 will also be a public holiday.
But it said two of the present holidays would be deducted to keep the overall number at 17. Mr Lee said the number should rise to 19. But if this was not possible, he proposed making May 1 an extra holiday and replacing Sino-Japanese War Victory Day with Buddha's Birthday.
Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the number of holidays could not be changed. 'The cost impact of an extra general holiday is 0.2 per cent of the total wage bill or $692 million.
'In view of this, we believe that, as a matter of policy, the total number of general holidays should be capped at 17 days a year.' The Government will consult employers' and staff organisations on which of the existing holidays to replace.
