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The Financial Times Friday September 25 1970
Other
بینی
Hong Kong tightens up
Overseas union legislation
News
Uttar Pradesh
coalition may fall
By Our Own Correspondent
India's
and
NEW DELHI, Sept. 24. THE FALL of the
coalition government in Uttar Pradesh.
most populous politically important state to which Premier Indira
Gandhi belongs, became imminent to- tay when Chief Minister Charan Singh asked ministers belonging Gandhi's Congress Party
o resign.
BY OUR OWn correspONDENT
THE Hong Kong Government has drafted new trade union legisla- tion which threatens to sour industrial relations in the colony, The most controversial clauses in the new Bill seriously reduce the right of strikers to form effective picket lines.
Employees will be forbidden to picket a person's private resi dence. Some officials are already complaining privately this could cause trouble as frequently the smaller employer lives in the same building as his factory or workshop.
Even more unpopular is the creation of a new offence making it illegal for strikers to block or cause any obstruction on a road
or street.
If this provision is enacted and vigorously enforced, picket lines outside a factory will be virtually banned altogether.
Significantly officials feel uncomfortable about several senior these proposals. They feel the existing Public Order Ordinance
Mr. Singh himself belongs to hc Bharatiya Kranti Dal Indian Revolutionary Party).
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already gives the police such sweeping powers to deal with all forms of pulic gatherings, and any hint of intimidation that changes in the trade union law also beginning to show signs of are unjustified. The workers are restlessness about the measure.
Bosses' side
ક
The present strikes and labour unions have laws governing been strongly attacked recently far 100 restrictive, The workers also feel always end up supporting the the police management in a strike. bitterly resent the current situa
They tion in which the employee sees the Administration firmly on the bosses' side.
from serious strikes.
Hong Kong is relatively free With a
lost through industrial disputes working population of around 1m. only 40,000-man-days were last year. the number of disputes has fluc- Over the last decade
HONG KONG, Sept. 24.
tuated but has shown no overall tendency to rise. Chinese workers prefer to settle grievances with as little fuss as possible. This incans when a strike takes place running very high. tempers on both sides are already
The effect of the new Bill will probably be the adoption of Com- munist tactics by the work force. Several instances have occurred management's hand by camping of employees trying to force the out on the factory floor. This strategy makes it almost im fere and also prevents the use possible for the police to inter- of strike-breakers.
danger of angry workers damag- However, it also creates the ing equipment.
Ugandan groups to dismiss many Kenyans
By Our Own Correspondent
KAMPALA. Sept 94 SEVER AT sha
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