CONFIDENTIAL
Brief for Mr. Anthony Royle's Meeting with Mr. James Johnson, MP..
about the Hong Kong Trade Union Registration (Amendment) Bill.
Mr. James Johnson, M.P. will be seeing the Parliamentary
Under Secretary at 10.30 a.m. on 3 November to discuss the draft
Hong Kong Trade Union Registration (Amendment) Bill.
Background
2. Mr. John Rear, Senior Lecturer in Law in the University
of Hong Kong, and Mr. J.W. England, Deputy Director of the
Department of Extra-Mural Studies in the University of Hong
Kong have made detailed criticisms of the draft Bill.
Mr. James Johnson, M.P. suggested that they should try to see
Mr. Royle while he was in Hong Kong but this did not prove
possible. The present meeting has been arranged at Mr. Johnson's
request.
Consultation with British T.U.C.
3.
At the meeting chaired by Lord Lothian on 30 October 1970
of the Overseas Labour Consultative Committee (on which the
T.U.C. and C.B.I. are represented), an undertaking was given
that there will be detailed consultation with the T.U.C. on
Hong Kong's draft Bill. This undertaking was given when T.U.C.
representatives indicated their misgivings about certain
provisions of the Bill, particularly those relating to fines
and picketing.
40 Mr. Royle has already seen representatives of the National
Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers in this country and the
International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation who felt
CONFIDENTIAL