Company’s director sentenced to suspended imprisonment for default on Labour Tribunal award

     The director of Hua Xiang Engineering Company Limited was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for defaulting on the sum awarded to employees by the Labour Tribunal (LT) under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The director pleaded guilty earlier at Shatin Magistrates' Courts and was sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment suspended for 24 months today (July 2). The director was also ordered to pay the three employees the outstanding sum of about $438,000.
 
     The company failed to pay three employees the awarded sum of about $438,000 by the LT within 14 days in accordance with the requirement of the EO. The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
 
     "The judgment will disseminate a strong message to all directors and responsible officers of bodies corporate that they have personal liability to ensure payment of awarded sums to employees according to the awards of the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board in accordance with the EO," 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.