Manpower chief Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun said yesterday the SAR's labour laws were not worse than other countries', just different.
The Secretary for Education and Manpower told legislators the current mechanism for protecting labour rights in Hong Kong was fine. 'I do not agree our legislation lags behind that of other countries. Ours is just different. Each country has its own systems and arrangements,' she said when replying to a question by Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun.
When challenged by unionist Lau Chin-shek about Hong Kong's lack of a minimum wage or collective bargaining, Mrs Law said there were a number of labour laws that some other countries did not have, including maternity leave and paid leave. 'Collective bargaining is just a process. We can secure labour benefits through discussions among employers, employees and the Government,' she said.
Mrs Law said industrial accident numbers had dropped in the past few years. But she said more publicity was needed to help raise awareness. Her comments came after one worker was crushed to death on Tuesday in an accident at a bus depot under construction in Lai Chi Kok.
