CYPHER/CAT A.
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 911
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
12 DECEMBER 1969.
YOUR TELEGRAM 774: CHILD LABOUR.
I SUGGEST A REPLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES BEGINS:-
THERE IS NO FORM OF SLAVERY IN HONG KONG. THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN DOES FROM TIME TO TIME GIVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND A CAMPAIGN WAS MOUNTED IN AUGUST 1969, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AGAINST THE UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT IN INDUSTRY OF CHILDREN UNDER 14. THE REFERENCE IN THE QUESTION TO A SURVEY PROBABLY RELATES TO THE RESULTS OF THIS CAMPAIGN, IN WHICH 1,387 EMPLOYEES BELIEVED TO BE UNDER 14 WERE DISCOVERED AND PROSECUTIONS MOUNTED AGAINST THE PROPRIETORS OF 298 UNDERTAKINGS. THERE IS AT PRESENT A HIGH LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT IN HONG KONG AMOUNTING TO A CONSIDERABLE LABOUR SHORTAGE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT MEASURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE VIGOROUSLY PURSUED.
IN CHINESE TEAHOUSES THERE IS A TRADITION OF EMPLOYING YOUNG
PERSONS TO CARRY ROUND TRAYS OF CHINESE DELICACIES AND SURVEYS
OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE CARRIED OUT TWICE A YEAR IN THESE ESTABLISH-
MENTS. THE LAST SURVEY, WHICH WAS IN MAY 1969, SHOWED THAT OUT OF ABOUT 58,000 EMPLOYEES 6,164 WERE UNDER EIGHTEEN. THERE IS NO FURTHER BREAKDOWN OF THE LATTER FIGURE. THE NUMBERS EMPLOYED
IN TRADITIONAL TEAHOUSES ARE GRADUALLY DECLINING BECAUSE OF RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES, BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ELSEWHERE
AND GENERAL CHANGES IN SOCIAL HABITS. ENDS.
2. THE CAMPAIGN REFERRED TO COVERED 1,708 SELECTED INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS, 1.E. RATHER OVER 10 PER CENT OF THOSE RECORDED, THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES OVER FALSE NAMES ETC. AND OF THE 1,387
SUSPECTED CASES EVIDENCE WAS AVAILABLE ONLY IN RESPECT OF
693 EMPLOYEES UNDER 14.
3. AS FOR TEAHOUSES THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS IN LAW. THIS IS THOUGHT TO BE A REDUCING PROBLEM. HOWEVER THE PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN IN FAMILY BUSINESSES GENERALLY AND ESPECIALLY IN HAWKER FAMILIES, WHICH ARE SHARING IN THE PRESENT HIGH LEVEL OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY, DOES GIVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL MEASURES WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DEVISE AND ENFORCE.
SIR H. NORMAN-WALKERI REF
FILES
HONG KONG DEPT.
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LAST
R.F.
45
CONFIDENTTAL
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