The By-election of Employee Representative to the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) for filling a vacancy of the current LAB term (2025-2026) will be held on March 29 (Saturday) at Function Rooms, 3/F, South Tower, The Salisbury – YMCA of Hong Kong, 41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. The Labour Department (LD) received three valid nominations of candidates from employee unions registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance during the nomination period from February 3 to 25, 2025.

     The candidates, listed in the order of receipt of nomination forms by the LD, are:

* Mr Yang Kaiqiang
Vice Chairman,
Hong Kong Seamen's Union

* Mr Chong Yuk-shing
Chairman,
Hong Kong Security Guards Alliance

* Mr Yeung Wai-leung
Chairman,
Union of Government School Teachers

     A total of 837 employee unions registered as electors have appointed authorised representatives to vote in this by-election. The electors will soon be informed in writing of the candidate list and detailed proceedings on the by-election day. Authorised representatives may cast votes at the polling station at Function Rooms, 3/F, South Tower, The Salisbury – YMCA of Hong Kong, from 9am to 5pm on the by-election day of March 29.

     Candidates may monitor the counting of votes in person on the by-election day. The Assistant Commissioner for Labour (Development) will act as the Returning Officer.

     The respective lists of candidates and electors with authorised representatives appointed, as well as the rules and procedures for the by-election, are available on the homepage of the LD (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/LAB_By-election2025.htm). Enquiries on matters relating to this by-election can be made at 2852 4024.

     The LAB is a tripartite consultative body comprising representatives of employees and employers to advise the Commissioner for Labour on labour matters.

     The Government announced today (March 7) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Mr Carlson Tong as Chairman, and Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung and Ms Winnie Wong Chi-shun as members of the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The reappointments are for a period of one year with effect from April 1, 2025.

     The Independent Commission advises the Government on matters relating to the systems of remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, as well as those for officials under the Political Appointment System. Other members of the Independent Commission are Mr Kevin Lam Sze-cay, Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi and Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Tsuen Wan this morning (March 7) in which a woman died.

     At 8.26am, a bus driven by a 42-year-old man was travelling along Kwok Shui Road towards Tsuen Wan. When the bus was approaching the junction of Kwok Shui Road and Fu Uk Road, it reportedly knocked down a 26-year-old woman.

     Sustaining serious head injuries, the woman was rushed to Yan Chai Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 9.06am.

     The bus driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1446.

     A red tide was sighted during the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (March 7).
 
     On March 4, staff of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department spotted a red tide at Deep Water Bay Beach, Hong Kong Island. The red tide has dissipated. No associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.
 
     A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide was formed by Noctiluca scintillans, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters and non-toxic."
 
     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Po Toi fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.
 
     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.

     A man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping has been located.

     Zhou Zhibin, aged 34, went missing after he left his residence in On Tai Estate on February 6. His family made a report to Police on February 14.

     The man was located on Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok in the small hours today (March 7). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.