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CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NO. 2140
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
1 NOVEMBER 1968
H
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED FCO TELEGRAM NO. 2140 OF 1ST NOVEMBER.
0
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1560 OF 31ST OCTOBER 1968 - PARLIAMENTARY
QUESTION.
ON THE BASIS OF A SURVEY IN SEPTEMBER 1967, THE AVERAGE WAGES FOR
AN UNSKILLED FACTORY WORKER FOR A 48 HOUR WEEK WAS CALCULATED
AS £4. 16. 3. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT, ALLOWING FOR A GENERAL SUB-
-SEQUENT INCREASE OF ABOUT 5 PERCENT, THE AVERAGE WAGES HAD RISEN
BY MARCH 1968 TO £5. 1. 0. IT IS BELIEVED THAT, SINCE THEN,, THERE
HAS BEEN A FURTHER INCREASE WHICH ON PAST EXPERIENCE, MAY BE OF
THE ORDER OF NOT LESS THAN 3 PERCENT. THIS WOULD GIVE AVERAGE
WAGES IN SEPTEMBER 1968 OF ABOUT £5. 4. 0.
2. IN THE LIGHT OF THIS INFORMATION I SUGGEST THAT THE WAGES
QUOTED IN THE PROPOSED REPLY COULD BE CONFIDENTLY GIVEN AS
£5. 5. 0. INSTEAD OF £4. 10. 0. OTHERWISE I HAVE NO COMMENTS.
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
HONG
KONG DEPT. FAR EASTERN DEPT.
NNNNN
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.43 - 4 NOV1968
A
HICK 5/3
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