strike was illegal under Section 3)
A further general objection
is the direct involvement of the
Governor in Council in judgement
on the legality or otherwise of
specific disputes around some of
which at least deep public feeling
may have been aroused.
6. I should be grateful therefore if you would reconsider the proposed amendments to the Illegal Strikes and Lock-outs Ordinance
in the light of the foregoing comments. would, I consider, be unwise to seek to enact
permanent legislation along these lines.
Improved legislation to deal with strikes
and lock-outs in essential services is
needed,
but
it
it would be preferable to allow
the existing legislation which fulfils no useful purpose (except perhaps as a remote deterrent) to lapse and to prepare a new and comprehensive Bill containing inter alia provisions of a more specific kind than is
at present contained in Hong Kong
Legislation for the settlement of disputes.
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