Fédération Internationale des Travailleurs des Industries
du Textile et de l'Habillement
Internationale Textil- und Bekleidungsarbeiter-Vereinigung
64
Internationella Textil- och Beklädnadsarbetarefederationen
INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE AND
GARMENT WORKERS' FEDERATION
120 BAKER STREET, LONDON, W.1
GENERAL SECRETARY: J. GREENHALGH
PRESIDENT:
"OHN E. NEWTON
VICE-PRESIDENT:
K. BUSCHMANN
Mr. Foggon, Foreign Office, Riverside House,
Millbank, S.W.1.
to whom all communications should be addressed
Dear Mr Foggon,
REF.
PT
18.
TELEPHONE: WELBECK 1745
TELEGRAM ADDRESS:
WORKINTEX, London, W.1
May 4th 1967.
Upon going through my correspondence from Hong Kong, I found
that our Organizer, Leong Fook Kee, had sent me two copies of the confidential paper
which was sent to the members of the Labour Advisory Board, and so I am able to let
you have one of these copies, instead of the appropriate extracts.
In the covering letter, Leong writes 'The Governor has ordered the Commissioner of Labour to approach the Labour Advisory Board for its advice'.
If I may comment upon this procedure, it is to say that I find
it ridiculous for a Governor to be seeking the advice of a committee on such an issue,
particularly as the committee members have a vested interest in the matter. Mr. Pang Chan Hoi is still employed as a textile worker, and it cannot be expected that he can
be entirely objective when his employer can dismiss him without having to state any
reason. In any case, I would have thought that the Governor and his officers had now
sufficient experience to realise that any reduction in the working hours for women and
young persons will have to be imposed. If I can again refer you to the review of my
report on Hong Kong, as given in the Far Eastern Economic Review for June 23rd 1966,
L.F. Goodstadt writes among other things... The local employers organisations have resolutely set their faces against any cut in working hours and threatened, according
to well-informed sources, to oppose bitterly in the Legislative and Executive Councils
any new legislation on this subject'. Some-one should tell the Governor and his officers
what the true position is.
Best Wishes,
Greenhalgh
General Secretary.