Firms urged to step up fight on poverty

(The Standard P.8  30 May 2013) Businesses should do more than just donate money to help reduce poverty (脫貧), a pro-government think-tank (智庫) says. 

 

The Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre (智經研究中心) said companies could take concrete steps (採取具體的措施) such as providing vocational training (職業訓練)for underprivileged youths and offering scholarships (獎學金) to talented youngsters. 

 

It released (發表) a report detailing nine major policy recommendations for the business sector (商界).
 

Center vice chairman Lau Ming-wai said companies should use their strengths (力量) - such as extensive (廣泛的) social networks - to play a bigger role in combating poverty.

 

"The best way is to create a sustainable (可持續的)win- win situation where businesses and individuals (個體) can both benefit," Lau said.

The center examined 1,000 projects being done by commercial organizations of various sizes and sectors to help the poor. 

 

Most of the proposals, however, require the government to take the lead. "Companies are good at running their business. We lack knowledge and information to help the poor," Lau said. "In fact, businessmen cannot do better than the government to combat poverty (滅貧)."

 

He also said the business sector could not be blamed (被指責) for the wealth gap (貧富懸殊). "I believe polarization of wealth is largely a result of economic restructuring that has taken place in recent decades."

The report proposes more vocational education and training for youngsters from low- income families. Internships (實習)  and work experience is also encouraged and help for startups and self- employed workers.

In addition, businesses may consider offering scholarships and living allowances to talented youngsters to build positive values and mutual support (互相支持)between employees and employers.

 

Lau is not worried that small and medium enterprises (中小企業) would be under pressure. " SMEs are proactive(主動) to play a part in alleviating poverty (扶貧)."

 

Candy Chan

Pay and perks just the job for youths

(The Standard P.7  30 May 2013) Salary and benefits are the most important factors (因素) for young workers, a survey shows.

 

The findings are from the "Who are our Generation Y and Z?" survey conducted from January 2010 to this month by the Continuing Professional Development Alliance (持續專業進修聯盟).

 

A total of 1,604 people were asked to rate what factors influence (影響) their decision to choose and stay in a job.

 

For "Gen Y," those born from 1980 to 1994, salary and benefits were the most important factor, followed by a clear and achievable career path, professional, interest and fun, and job security.

 

"Gen Z," those born after 1994, also valued monetary compensation the most, followed by interests and fun, and a clear and achievable career path.

 

"This survey will shed light on the characteristics(典型的) and preferences of Gen Y and Gen Z so that employers of different professions can better understand them," said Virginia Choi Wai-kam, chairwoman of the alliance, a grouping of various professional bodies.

 

Gen Y and Gen Z also want to take part in decision making, are adaptable to the environment, and want to have more instant (迫切的) responses when communicating and flexible working hours.

 

Gen Y also felt money and title communicating were the most important reward (獎賞) followed by satisfactory (良好的) performance in their job, meaningful work and freedom.

Both generations also desired a supportive mentor (良師益友). The least desirable one for Gen Y was a directive mentor.

"A directive (指導的) mentor gives all the instructions and rules while a supportive one offers help when you need according to the situation," said Grace Tsang Sau- ping, a senior lecturer in the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education's department of business administration (香港專業教育學院).

Choi suggested that bosses could make an effort to increase informal communication with their young workers.

 

"Managers could make an effort to have lunch with them, talk about their lives and also give them small gifts on special occasions," she said.

 

"Besides being recognized for their contributions by their mentors, when these youths upload pictures of the presents from their bosses online, they can also gain peer approval (認可) and admiration (讚美)."

 

Jeraldine Phneah

Parents warned over children's deaths

(The Standard P.1  29 May 2013) Parents are being held responsible for at least a third of the unnatural deaths (非自然死亡) of children below 18 in 2008 and 2009.

And parents actually caused the deaths in about 15 percent of cases, according to a government panel that reviewed the situation.

The panel studied 238 deaths heard by the coroner's court (死因裁判法庭) and pointed to 82 unnatural causes(非自然因素).

Among them were 26 suicides (自殺), 23 accidents and 18 physical attacks (遭受襲擊). And parents were linked directly to 23 of these deaths.

"Homes are important, but they are not the safest place for children," Child Fatality Review Panel (兒童死亡個案檢討委員會) chairman Leung Nai-kong said.

Eight of the suicides were due to breakdowns (破裂) in family relationships and 11 over homework or conduct at school.

The youngest was nine years old, and the child's death was said to have been caused by expectations being too high.

"Parents should avoid putting too much pressure on their children," Leung said.

Thirteen of the dead from attacks were victims of their own parents, who also decided to end their own lives.

Several others died because of negligence (疏忽). One was an infant who fell from an open window as the mother was disposing (處理) of a just-changed diaper.

Such an incident could be avoided if parents made their homes safer by installing window bars, Leung pointed out.

Another child died after drinking methadone(美沙酮) left in a fridge by parents.

Six deaths listed as unclassified (未經分類的) were babies who shared beds with parents. "There were no medical explanations (說明) for these deaths,, but it's certain that parents sleepingwith their infants is not a good practice," said Yu Chak-man, convenor (會議召集人) of the medical group in the panel.

The doctor also quoted the British Medical Journal(英國醫學雜誌) as saying that children under three months sleeping with parents have a fatality rate(病死率) five times higher than those who sleep on their own.

"Parents need to be educated," Leung added. "Getting married does not mean they know about parenting (管教子女方法)."

The panel made 21 recommendations to prevent child deaths.

The Social Welfare Department, accepting the recommendations, noted that collaboration (合作) among government departments is needed.

"We have organized educational programs to strengthen family relationships and prevent domestic violence," said Fung Man-chung, an assistant director.

Efforts would include creating friendships at schools that would lead to teachers and school social workers being told when a youngster was suicidal.

Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre (明愛向晴軒)supervisor Paulina Kwok Chi- ying said not only parents but society as a whole should share the blame.

Society promotes competition that forces parents to set goals for their children that could cause tragedies, she said.

"Children learn to compare themselves with people around them, such as their schoolmates and relatives, because they are taught to stand out from the crowd to secure respect (獲得尊重),recognition (賞識) or even interests (關注)," Kwok said.

"Those who cannot stand the pressure or feel lost may end up killing themselves." So parents should be aware (察覺的) of signs (徵兆) of depression and be ready to seek help for children who need it. Besides setting goals, parents need to provide encouragement."

Candy Chan

Panel 'no' puts landfill plan on shaky ground

(The Standard P.10  28 May 2013) A lawmakers' panel has said no to the expansion of the Tseung Kwan O landfill.

The non-binding motion (無約束力動議) at the Legislative Council's panel on environmental affairs was passed with nine in favor (贊成), four against and no abstentions (棄權 ) It came despite a warning from Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam- sing that without expansion (擴展) of the landfill, Hong Kong will be overrun (泛濫) with garbage(垃圾).  

Landfill expansion is a key plank (主要政策) of the 10-year "Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources (資源循環藍圖)" aimed to reduce the rate of disposable waste (任意處理的廢物) by 40percent on a per-capita basis (人均的(地)準則)  by 2022.  

Wong insisted (強調) the HK$8.9 billion expansion, planned since 2003 to include three landfills, is needed even with recycling.  

The government is seeking funding approval from Legco to expand the landfills in Ta Kwu Ling, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O, which are expected to be full by 2020.  

The Tseung Kwan O landfill, which was to be expanded by 13 hectares (公頃), will be the first to hit saturation point next year or in 2015. 

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmaker Elizabeth Quat Pui-fan, asked: "Have you even experienced the bad odor (臭氣) suffered by the people living near the sites?"  

Helena Wong Pik-wan of the Democratic Party said that in South Korea, 20 percent of municipal waste (都市廢物) is still disposed of in landfills despite 60 percent of it being recycled and another 20 percent incinerated (燒毁).  

"The success that we can see in Taiwan and Japan has been worked for decades. But Hong Kong in this early stage (階段) is working step by step (逐步地) towards the South Korean model," Wong said. 

Insurance lawmaker Chan Kin-por, who agreed with the government plan, fears the city will face more trouble if a decision on landfill expansion cannot be made. "We can't risk putting the city to be surrounded by garbage, it would be a disaster," Chan said. 

Meanwhile, around 20 Tseung Kwan O residents protested outside Legco, urging the scrapping (廢物) of the landfill plan. 

They said the foul (惡臭的 ) smell coming from the landfill is unbearable, and complained that it has severely worsened hygiene conditions in the area. Residents warned they would seek a judicial review (司法審查) against the proposal.

Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan accused the environment secretary of threatening the public, and said the government should find an alternative (替代的) site. 

Friends of the Earth environmental affairs officer Celia Fung Sze-lai called for (需要) more support in general for the recycling industry.

 

Candy Chan