ILO/97/17

GENEVA (ILO News) - The 85 ^th International Labour Conference was told today that International labour Standards prevailing in Hong Kong prior to the 1 July transfer of sovereignty will be applied after 1 July 1997 by the Government of China. The following statement was read out in the Plenary session of the ILC:

"The Director-General received on 10 June 1997 forty-six notifications from the Government of China concerning the application or continued application to Hong Kong after 1 July 1997, of International labour Conventions. These notifications will be registered as of 1 July 1997, and will ensure the continued application to Hong Kong from that date of all the Conventions which were applicable to Hong Kong until that date under declarations made by the Government of the United Kingdom, except three which were specifically designed for non-metropolitan territories."

The three conventions which applied to non-metropolitan areas are No. 82, Social Policy (Non-metropolitan territories), 1947; No. 86, Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers), 1947; and No. 84, Right of Association (Non-metropolitan territories), 1947.

* The following is a list of the 46 ILO Conventions which apply to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with effect from 1 July 1997 in the same manner as prior to that date:

No. 2 - Unemployment Convention, 1919; No. 3 - Maternity protection Convention, 1919; No. 5 - Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919; No. 7 - Minimum Age (Sea) Convention, 1920; No. 8 - Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck) Convention, 1920; No. 10 - Minimum Age (Agriculture) Convention, 1921; No. 11 - Right of Association (Agriculture) Convention, 1921; No. 12 - Workmen's Compensation (Agriculture) Convention, 1921; No. 14 - Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921; No. 15 - Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers) Convention, 1921; No. 16 - Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea) Convention, 1921; No. 17 - Workmen's Compensation (Accidents) Convention, 1925; No. 19 - Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation) Convention, 1925; No. 22 - Seamen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1926; No. 23 - Repatriation of Seamen Convention, 1926; No. 29 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930; No. 32 - Protection Against Accidents (Dockers) Convention (Revised), 1932; No. 42 - Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) Convention (Revised), 1934; No. 45 - Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935; No. 50 - Recruiting of Indigenous Workers Convention, 1936; No. 58 - Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised) 1936; No. 59 - Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937; No. 64 - Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers) Convention, 1939; No. 65 - Penal Sanctions (Indigenous Workers) Convention, 1939; No. 74 - Certification of Able Seamen Convention, 1946; No. 81 - Labour Inspection Convention, 1947; No. 87 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948; No. 90 - Night work of Young Persons (Industry) Convention (Revised) 1948; No. 92 - Accommodation of Crews Convention (Revised), 1949; No. 97 - Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949; No. 98 - Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949; No. 101 - Holidays with Pay (Agriculture) Convention, 1952; No. 105 - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957; No. 108 - Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958; No. 115 - Radiation Protection Convention, 1960; No. 122 - Employment Policy Convention, 1964; No. 124 - Medical Examination of Young Persons (Underground Work) Convention, 1965; No. 133 - Accommodation of Crews (Supplementary Provisions) Convention 1970; No. 141 - Rural Workers' Organizations Convention, 1975; No. 142 - Human Resources Development Convention, 1975; No. 144 - Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976; No. 147 - Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976; No. 148 - Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977; No. 150 - Labour Administration Convention, 1978; No. 151 - Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978; No. 160 - Labour Statistics Convention, 1985.

* The People's Republic of China has ratified the following 18 Conventions:

No. 7 - Minimum Age (Sea), 1920; No. 11 - Right of Association (Agriculture), 1921; No. 14 - Weekly Rest (Industry), 1921; No. 15 - Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers), 1921; No. 16 - Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea), 1921; No. 19 - Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation), 1925; No. 22 - Seamen's Articles of Agreement, 1926; No. 23 - Repatriation of Seamen, 1926; No. 26 - Minimum Wage-fixing Machinery, 1928; No. 27 - Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels), 1929; No. 32 - Protection Against Accidents (Dockers) (Revised), 1932; No. 45 - Underground Work (Women), 1935; No. 59 - Minimum Age (Industry) (Revised), 1937; No. 80 - Final Articles Revision, 1946; No. 100 - Equal Remuneration, 1951; No. 144 - Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards), 1976; No. 159 - Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), 1983; No. 170 - Chemicals, 1990.