L.D. 1
4400001
6,000-12/67-B64151
TEL. No. 778271... .Ex 1.
REFERENCE NO...LAB CR 1/706
air mail
CONFIDENTIAL
LABOUR DEPARTMENT,
LEE GARDENS, SECOND FLOOR.
EAST BLOCK, HYSAN AVENUE,
HONG KONG 29th March
162
196 8
Mr. G. Foggon CMG OBE
Commonwealth Office/Foreign Office
Curtis Green Building
Victoria Embankment LONDON S.W.1.
Dear
Eeshare,
Thank you for the kind words in your letter of 14th March 1968 about the statement of intent regarding departmental legislation which I made in the Legislative Council last month. I think that it generally got a good reception and has certainly helped very much to clear the air as far as the department is concerned. We have all chafed for several months as the result of an unfriendly press. This criticism was specially onerous for me personally because I knew as long ago as last November that I would probably be speaking but I had to remain silent until the opportunity to speak came several weeks later.
2.
The Secretary of State has already formally asked for a timetable and I am trying to prepare one, at least as far as I am concerned. No doubt you will see our reply. The first bill, a minor one on industrial holidays, will be presented to the Legislative Council on 10th April.
3.
We have been concentrating on the Employment Bill and I have meant, for some time, to send you a copy to see. But I have recently been distracted by the demands of the budget debate. Nonetheless, during March, we sent copies to members of the Labour Advisory Board and the four principal employers' organizations. I have held a meeting of the Labour Advisory Board which approved the bill in principle subject to further consideration of details. I also attended, with Graham Bennett, a meeting of the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong at which representatives of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Hong Kong Industries were present. They all agree to the bill in principle subject to further detailed examination. The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong is likely to follow the Federation's line. All this is very encouraging but there is still quite a lot of hard slogging to do on details. Quite a number of the suggestions was helpful and I feel that, in the end, I can get pretty solid support for the bill in its final form. I attach a copy of the original draft bill together with the covering memorandum for the Labour Advisory Board for your information. I would, of course, welcome any observations you may care to make although, as I have said above, we are already considering quite a number of suggestions for amendment and clarification.
4.
Bill.
We will then turn to the Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) I owe a letter of real thanks to Miss Ogilvie for her very helpful suggestions on our original proposals and I hope to write to her shortly on the subject.
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