NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
The niew seems to
Le shared
some los
employers since
2
villarea, serious deficiencies. The basic Ordinance (Chapter 61) is an ama
amalgłam of the
hiba-t
United Kingdom Trade Disputes Act of 1927
(introduced after the General Strike of 1926 and
now repealed) and the United Kingdom Conspiracy
and Protection of Property Act of 1875, and has
never been invoked. You have, moreover,
commented in your saving despatch under
reference that it is difficult to conceive of
circumstances in which, even as amended, it
might be of practical value in view of the
difficulties of enforcement. It is therefore on
1
the claims of the legislation's largely
theoretical deterrent value that it is proposed
to make it part of Hong Kong's permanent
legislation. Whether this provides sufficient
justification in itself for the legislation is
arguable but the extension of the penal scope
of the Ordinance without any specific counter-
vailing provision for settling any disputes
that might arise, is a defect of a major kind
which would seem at once to invalidate the
Ordinance as a piece of permanent legislation.
during my Labour Adviser's visit in February 1969, it was indicated by members of the
Employers Federation that it was a matter for
regret that what was being proposed did not
any four what
provide machinery
inery for resolving disputes
It is questionable also whether the
Current legislation as drafted is related to the situation
in the industrial relations field in Hong King
which has followed the "confrontation" of 1967.
/The power