CY Leung's Policy Address mainly focused on housing and economic issues, offering residents something to "look forward to". He also gave a succinct explanation of a "five-year plan" for labor-related development. But, wage earners are disappointed as the speech fell short on work safety issues.

Behind the "proactive", "forward-looking" housing policies, an occupational safety crisis is brewing. Leung pledged the government will provide at least 100,000 public flats next five years. And there will be more subsidized housing and over 60,000 flats to be built by private developers.

Several big infrastructure projects are now underway, and some housing projects will soon get the green light. These projects are pressed for time. Contractors may overlook safety measures as they try to finish works on schedule, exposing workers to risks. In fact, industrial accidents have been risin in recent years. Most jobs in the industry are in the high-risk category which insurers refuse to cover unless exceptionally high premiums are paid.

Currently, several compensation funds for medical coverage of occupational diseases are "flush" with idle money because the incidence of qualified recipients has been decreasing markedly recently. The Occupational Safety and Health Committee of the Federation of Trade Unions hopes the government will review and reform the existing compensation funds for specific occupational diseases. The aim is to make better use of the resources, such as using the money to help qualified applicants in other industries or families of those killed in workplace accidents. We urge the government to set up a "central occupational safety fund" to help workers who cannot afford life insurance due to the dangerous nature of their jobs.

The author is deputy director of Occupational Safety and Health Council. This is an excerpted translation of his commentary published in Wen Wei Po on Jan 29.

(HK Edition 01/30/2013 page9)