CONADENTIAL
HBM MINISTRY OF PUBLIC BUILDING AND WORKS HONG KONG
Lee Gardens 35-37 Hysan Avenue PO Box 1379 Hong Kong
Telegrams: Minisworks
Hrs G Bradley
3D 3
MPBY
Lambeth Bridge House
10:00: $21
GLAND
TRADE UNION SECOGNITION
Telephone
q
끼고
15/4
Your reference B 1721/13
Our reference 4/15/84/51
Date
4 September 1970
You wrote to me on 5 August and I enclose with this letter a liong Kong Government Establishment Circular No 45/68 to which is attached at an appendix a copy of the 1968 agreement between Hong Kong Government and the main staff associations together with a copy of the Constitution of the Senior Civil Service Council. I am sure that you will find this interesting, particularly since it sets out precisely what has been agreed.
You will see that the present recognition accorded to Hong Kong Government staff associations is limited to particular associations but that catral recog- nition may be granted and can be withdrawn by the Colonial Secretary at any time, also that it is provided that any other associations may be granted centrel recog- nition. At the present timo, as I understand it, recognition has not been extended beyond those mentioned in the agreement and it is a fact that these do not cover industrials. The FDW Union covers industricle and recognition of then at this
However we are a time would mean a nove ahead of Hong Kong Government practice. minor employer and by ourselves would not probably cause too great an experiess- mant if we accorded recognition but the possibility of this increases if recogni- tion were accorded by all UK Government employers and I think that if this were seriously contemplated it would be wise to neke some informal soundings with Hong Kong Government.
As regards Ministry of Defence I understand that in June 1970 the 100 steff Union made a verbal submission at one of their regular meetings with 10D and the Command Secretary asked then for membership figures by grades. He has had no reply but his feeling is that overall their membership is of the order of 25% of the potential although in some grades it may be higher. His personal view is that something approaching 50% would be needed to demonstrate adequate representation and this scrt of figure is significantly exceeded in the case of 17DW.
As I have said above the Hong Kong Government scheme provides for rocognition to be withdraw or accorded at any time and it also has other provisions which we would not be prepared to accept c.g. certain raiters can be referred to a committee of enquiry whose report is binding all members of the staff associations but is subject to approval by the Governor in Council or the Legislative Council or Finance Committee,
If it is considered that we have reached the stage when it is desirable to move towards recognition of our Union end I consider that I Government Departments must march in step and the 100 membership figures seem to indicate that we have pet
Comed to Miss Lloydl
CONFIDENTIAL
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