Employer sentenced for failing to pay wages, highlights Labour Department's commitment to enforcing employment laws.

Employer sentenced to suspended imprisonment for contravening Employment Ordinance

An employer was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violating requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The employer pleaded guilty at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (November 28) and was sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

The employer wilfully and without reasonable excuse contravened the requirements of the EO, failing to pay seven employees their wages within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods totalling about $385,000, and also failing to pay two employees the awarded sum of about $92,000 within 14 days after the date set by the Labour Tribunal (LT).

"The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO, as well as the sums awarded by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board," a spokesman for the LD said.

"The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.

Correctional officers stop fight among persons in custody

​Correctional officers at Tong Fuk Correctional Institution stopped a fight among persons in custody today (November 28).

At 11.02am today, six male persons in custody aged from 23 to 39 engaged in a fight inside a workshop. Officers at the scene immediately ordered them to stop, called for reinforcement and applied OC foam to subdue them after repeated warnings were ignored.

During the incident, five persons in custody sustained injuries to their faces, shoulders and hands. They did not need to be sent to a public hospital after receiving medical examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer. The remaining person in custody did not sustain any injury.

The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

The six persons in custody were sentenced to imprisonment for the offences of trafficking in a dangerous drug, robbery and acting as a member of a triad society.