L.D. 134
4400162
10,00-11/66-B52205
LABOUR DEPARTMENT
NEWS AND COMMENTS ON LABOUR MATTERS TRANSLATED FROM THE LOCAL CHINESE PRESS
Distribution list:
H.E. the Governor
Honourable Colonial Secretary
Honourable Secretary for Chinese Affairs
Commissioner of Police (for Director, Special Branch)
Director of Information Services Registrar of Trade Unions
Ta Kung Pao
3rd June, 1967
Marine Department' workers to continue protest stoppage
were
In protest against the sneaky and mean actions of the Hong Kong British authorities in sending special agents to tear down anti- violence posters pasted everywhere in the Government Slipway in Yau Ma Tei, the courageous workers of the 'Marine Department' staged a day- long stoppage of work two days ago. More than a hundred poli cemen sent yesterday to the dockyard to suppress and threaten the workers and to disbribute to them so-called suspension notices' This silly move failed to scare the workers, but instead stirred up their anger. Leaving the slipway at once, they went to the union headquarters and. held a condemnation rally to expose the double intrigue of threat and bribery employed by the Hong Kong British authorities. The workers declared their determination to struggle till the Hong Kong British authorities bowed to admit their guilt.
With the exception of a few per sons on duty, all the other workers were not present when the polcie arrived at the dockyard. About 20 policemen came first, followed by scores more at dawn. Numerous plainclothes agents were also posted around the dockyard to keep an eye on the workers and the passers-by. Even the union premises of the 'Marine Department' employees were under the surveillance of special agents.
At about 8 a.m., when the workers showed up, they were closely watched by gruat batches of police in ambush. At the entrance, a European 'superintendent' handed to them so-called 'suspension notices, which informed workers_that they had been interdicted from duty as their stoppage of work two days ago had contradicted Establishment Regulations'. On learning that the letter was signed by Gass, 'Colonial Secretary'
the in order to threaten them, the workers threw down the notices and angrily left the slipway. When the workers who were still on their way had been told, they also angrily banded together to go and join the condemnation rally. They decided to continue their stoppage of work in serious protest against Fascist suppression by the Hong Kong British authorities.
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After the majority of workers had left, the European superintendent' threatened a few late-comers who had not yet been informed of the of the truth. He told them that so-and-so was in the 1 suspension list', but if he promised to resume work at once, the
Serial101 of 5th June, 1967
/suspension