0003160 G.F. 316
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I obey by killing a chicken in front of it.)
4.
The Hong Kong Seamen's Union (H. K. S. U.) (claimed membership 27,000: paid up membership, 13,200), continued to receive support from the F.T.U. in their dispute with Royal Interocean Lines (R. I. L.) over the shooting incident in Australia on their vessel "Straat Malakka" (L. I.C. report for January, 1967, paragraph 6 refers). The left-wing press throughout the month waged a vehement campaign against the R. I, L. and other left-wing unions voiced their support. Uneasy negotiations between between H. K.S.U. and management continued until the 17th February when they broke down. On 18th February, a party of union officials and seamen from other lines went to the R. I.L. premises and completely disrupted work there by invading the offices, chanting quotations from Mao's works and demanding loudly the acceptance of all their demands. In order to end the demonstration the Managing Director of R. I.L. promised to apologise for calling the Police on the 30th January. Thereafter, negotiations began again; the management sent a letter of apology the wording of which was not acceptable to the union, and it was announced that the Managing Director would reply personally to the union's demands on the 27th February, In his reply the Managing Director stated that the ex-Captain of the "Straat Malakka" had resigned from the company, and that, while disapproving of his action, the company was therefore unable to compel him to return to the Colony or make an apology. He added that the Company agreed to pay stand-by wages to the crew until the dispute was finally settled, that discussions on the wording of the press release and apology for calling the Police could be re-opened forthwith and the question of a circular to all the company's ships officers instructing them on their future behaviour towards Chinese crew members could be discussed later. At the subsequent negotiation the wording of the apology was agreed; as was the press release with the exception of one sentence only.
5.
The R. I.L's. increasingly conciliatory attitude was prompted by the growing threat of pressure from the H. K. S. U. and other left-wing unions. The management had approached some of their ships' officers who gave as their opinion that the Captain of the "Straat Malakka" had been in the wrong and that their own position would not necessarily become untenable if the company acceded to the union' demands. A further meeting between management and union was to be held on the 3rd March; the major outstanding point of difference is now the union's insistence on the return of the Captain to Hong Kong to apologise to the seamen,
6.
Apart from the R. I. L. confrontation, there was a number of other disputes in the labour field. The dispute between the Cotton Industry Workers' General Union (C.I.W.G.U., claimed membership, 1,500; paid up membership, 1,100) and the management of East Asia Textiles (L.I.C. report for January, 1967 paragraph 7 refers) was settled early in the month with the payment of generous compensation to the dismissed workers, The question of an eight-hour day and six-day week was not raised again by the union. This settlement caused disappointment in the Industrial Textile and Garment Workers' Federation (I.T.G.W.F.) which had given support to the dispute on the understanding that these issues would be fought out.
7.
During January and February two reports were made to the police of fights between left-wing and right-wing workers in textile factories. On both ●ccasions participants were warned to keep the peace and referred to the civil courts for any further action they wished to take. At the Nam Fong textile factory three workers, two right-wing and one left-wing, were
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/dismissed