hote
Fédération Internationale des
Mimola. of
valeurs des Industries
du Textile et de l'Habillement
Stay
has agree the
yogo
Lo
attupr
Internationale Textil- und Bekleidungsarbeiter-Vereinigung
Internationella Textil- och Beklädnadsarbetarefederationen
In eighTERNATIONAL TEXTILE AND
shura
tam.
坏
Mustha
PRESIDENT:
OHN E. NEWTON
VICE-PRESIDENT:
K. BUSCHMANN
Mrs. Judith Hart, Minister of State, Commonwealth Office, Great Smith Street, London. S.W.1.
GARMENT WORKERS' FEDERATION
2120 BAKER STREET, LONDON, W.1
Dear Minister,
GENERAL SECRETARY: J. GREENHALGH to wh
communications should be addressed
RECEIVED PRIVATE OFFICE
LAST
REF.
HEA
ALF
یه
TELEPHONE:
WELBECK 1745
TELEGRAM ADDRESS:
WORKINTEX, London, W.1
April 10th 1967.
I beg to acknowledge your letter of April 7th 1967 concerning Hong Kong, and to say the least, I am bitterly disappointed with its contents.
I accept a large part of paragraph two of your letter, but would disagree with the inclusion of the word 'probably' in the last but one line.
Whilst I did not think that it might be necessary to take notes, my recollection of your words were to the effect that 'the memorandum would be put to the Executive Council at the end of this month that is, in two weeks' time'. I will however, check with both Ernest Thornton and Jim Johnson, who were present during this part of the interview.
J
Even if your interpretation is correct, and you did include the word 'probably', I would point out that this was on February 16th, and yet on 4th April, your reply to Ernest Thornton makes even 'probably' an error of judgement, and justifies my conclusion that we were mis-led. I am sorry to have to say this, but I would again point out that your predecessor, Fred Lee stated to a delegation of British textile and garment workers' leaders on June 21st 1966 that 'I fully expect that new legislation will be introduced in Hong Kong during this summer'. Again on December 19th 1966, Fred Lee informed Ernest Thornton and myself that the minority report of the Commissioner of Labour in Hong Kong had been accepted and legislation based upon this minority report would soon be enacted in Hong Kong. So it has just been one succession of promise after promise, and we are still in the same position as we were prior to 1966. Your own (probably) two weeks is now almost two months, and so I begin to wonder as to when, if ever, the appropriate action will be taken in Hong Kong.
Your third paragraph states that I will be glad to know that the Hong Kong Executive Council agreed on March 7 to put before the Labour Advisory Board proposals in the form of amendments to the factories and industrial undertakings legislation, which would enable statutory orders to be made for reducing working hours of women and young persons in any particular industrial undertaking or class of undertaking. Had your statement ended at this point, I would indeed have been glad, but you go on to dash all my hopes for any improvement.