Latest news

We have received an announcement from CITA informing that their trainees of Semi-skilled workers will be graduated soon. Members are encouraged to recruit those graduates by filling in the provided Application Form.

The Construction Workers Registration Authority (CWRA) has provided the updated information on Construction Workers Registration. Please refer to the attachment for your details.

Another round of applications for the Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme is now open for new applications. A self-explanatory letter sent from Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau is attached for your reference. Guide to Application and Application Form can be downloaded from their website : http://www.info.gov.hk/cib/psdas. The dealine of this round of application is 30th Sept 2006.

A briefing session on the Scheme will be organised by the Bureau on 7 Sept 2006. Details and registration form are also attached.

(建造業工人註冊管理局呼籲建造業工友盡早辦理註冊)

We have been informed that the Construction Workers Registration Authority (CWRA) has decided to extend the deadline of registration from end of August till the 1st quarter of 2007. A letter from CWRA for appealing Construction Workers for early registration is attached for your attention.

The record for the 2nd quarter of year 2006 is attached for your information.

Section 23 deals with failure to pay wages within 7 days and section 25 to pay wages and compensation upon termination.

This record is distributed by the Labour Department to selected parties every quarter. Accordingly, we will circulate to all members upon receipt.

Innovation and Technology Commission informed us that the webpages of the Product Standards Information Bureau (PSIB) have been revamped and launched to renew general awareness of the benefits and importance of the adoption of standards. our members are welcome to visit their new webpages at http://www.itc.gov.hk/en.quality/psis/about.htm and make use of the services of the PSIB. Highlights of features are set out in Annex for easy reference.

For any enquires, please contact Mr M C Tam of ITC at 2829 4815.

EMSD has announced that the Working Group of the Pilot Scheme recently endorsed that the pilot scheme to allow the use of fresh water for evaporative cooling towers in air conditioning systems in non-domestic developments would be further extended for two years to 31st May 2008.

Detailed application procedures and requirements of the scheme, together with the location plans of latest designated areas are available from the Energy Efficiency Office of the EMSD on 7/F., EMSD Headquarters, 3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon Bay and can also be downloaded from EMSD website: http://www.emsd.gov.hk. For any queries, please contact Mr L S Tam of EMSD by phone at 2808 3104, fax 2890 6081, or email lstam@emsd.gov.hk.

Many members have the experience of realizing that they are required to perform duties related to site safety and environmental management, but are not getting paid for the work. The Federation had taken up the task of discussing the issue with Government and with the Housing Authority for some time. Recently, both the Architectural Services Department (ASD) and the Housing Authority (HA) have separately announced initiatives to allow E & M Specialist Sub-contractors to be paid for the work.

ASD is planning to implement a “Pay fro Safety and Environment Scheme” (PFSES) which will be applicable to Nominated Sub-contracts(NSC). The sum allowed for PFSES for NSC shall be 2 % of the sub-contract value in general. Cost of E&M equipment shall be excluded from the “contract value” in estimating the sum allowed for PFSES as the cost of E&M equipment is deemed to have no relevance to the contractor’s input and effort in respect of safety. The implementation is likely to commence in the second quarter of this year.

An amended PFSES BQ and Preambles and Method of Measurement for Sit Safety and Environmental Management will be included in future NSC’s. Members please note that the ‘quantity’ and ‘rate’ column in the Bill will be inserted and completed by the project officer to form the sum allowed for PFSES for NSC during the tender document preparation. Hence, the sum for this Bill is pre-fixed with no choice of exclusion by the tenderers.

The arrangement is in line with the principle that work related to site safety and environment management has to be done. It is therefore fair that all tenderers should make allowances for the work. By making it mandatory, no tenderer may inadvertently miss this item in their tender or making insufficient allowances.

The Housing Authority is also advocating a similar scheme called the “Pay for Site Safety, Environmental Management and Site Hygiene Scheme” (PSEHS). This scheme will be applicable to NSC’s for Electrical, Lift & Escalator, FSWP and ACV installations. The scheme is likely to adopt payment based on actual work input, instead of a flat rate. Different rates may apply according to the types of work done, and to the respective trades. The scheme is still under consultation, and may be tried out in some pilot projects before full implementation to all projects.

These initiatives by ASD and HA will provide a more level playing field for E&M subcontractors in their tendering processes. When every subcontractor has to make the same allowances for the work related to safety, environment, and hygiene and these allowances are separated from the subcontract work itself, there is every incentive for the subcontractors to perform their duties fully, as they cannot pocket the difference by not doing the work.

For any further questions on the above please contact the Safety and Contract Committees of the Federation through the Secretariat.


Written by
Mr C K Lau
Chairman of Contracts Committee

The 9th FEMC Newsletter is enclosed for members to retrieve.

Please click into " READ MORE " for downloading.

The record for the 1st quarter of year 2006 is attached for your information.

Section 23 deals with failure to pay wages within 7 days and section 25 to pay wages and compensation upon termination.

This record is distributed by the Labour Department to selected parties every quarter. Accordingly, we will circulate to all members upon receipt.

Please note that in accordance with the Amendment Regulation, the registration of safety officers shall be valid for a period of 4 years subject to renewal or revalidation. Members are encouraged their registered safety officers to submit applications for renewal of their registrations as soon as possible.

Another round of applications for the Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme is now open for new applications from 13th April to 15th June 2006. A self-explanatory letter sent from Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau is attached for your reference. Guide to Application and Application Form can be downloaded from their website : http://www.info.gov.hk/cib/psdas. The dealine of this round of application is 15th June 2006.

A briefing session on the Scheme will be organised by the Bureau on 16th May 2006. Details and registration form are also attached.

A notice to Service Suppliers No. 3/2005 for "Application Procedures for Hong Kong Service Supplier (HKSS) Certificate of Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA)" issued by Trade and Industry Department (TID) was received. It is now attached for your information.

ASD has provided FEMC the following information by releasing relevant tables, which are

1) Forecast of Contracts 2006 - a table showing the annual forecast of contracts that are anticipated to be invited by the Department in this year.

2) Forecast of Consultancies 2006 - a table showing the annual forecast of consultancies that are anticipated to be invited by the Department in this year.

The SMILE-SMC programme conducted by HKU (Hong Kong University) is now in its implementation stage. HKFEMC has participated actively over the development with quite a few representatives involved in various workshops and forums.

One of the 'products' is a web-based platform to help contractors, in particular small and medium sized ones, to improve their efficiency and productivity. We are invited to become members, free of charge during the trial period. Attached are the pamphlet and invitation letters. Be free to surf into http://smile.hku.hk to enroll.

The Construction Workers Registration Authority (CWRA) announces new measures for "Group Submission of Applications" to introduce more efficient and flexible arrangements to the convenience of workers.

A Briefing Session on Registration of Construction Workers had been held by FEMC on 20 January, 2006 at Duke of Windsor Social Service Building with a total attendance of over 110 members. We were honoured by two speakers, namely, Miss Annette Lam, Secretary from Registration of Construction Workers Authority and and Mr. P. L. Mok, Registration Officer, from Registration of Construction Workers Office.

The record for the 4th quarter of year 2005 is attached for your information.

Section 23 deals with failure to pay wages within 7 days and section 25 to pay wages and compensation upon termination.

This record is distributed by the Labour Department to selected parties every quarter. Accordingly, we will circulate to all members upon receipt.

You may take this into consideration in your management of sub-contractors.

Its self-explanatory letter from Building Department on the captioned subject is attached for members' information.

The 8th FEMC Newsletter is enclosed for members to retrieve.

Please click into " READ MORE " for downloading.