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Mr Kilmer
1447
Pl. Consider will
rr.
20
MR. LAIRD
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT
HONG KONG AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING COMPANY
कान
1317
I had my meeting today with Mr. H. Gibson who, as you might expect, has already seen and had a talk with
Mr. Clive Jenkins. Although I have left a message for
Mr. Jenkins to give me a ring I have yet to make contact
with him. He is clearly very angry at what has happened. He is not, according to Mr. Gibson, prepared to take what he regards as a "rebuff" lying down. There are, I think, 15 M.Ps who are associated with Mr. Jenkin's organisation in one way or another and he proposes to consult with them
to launch a series of questions about labour conditions in
Hong Kong and in particular the failure to give proper
recognition to trade unions. It is also proposed to ask the Secretary of State or a Minister deputed by him - to receive a delegation. According to Mr. Gibson this delegation would take up the various points made by
previous delegations to Labour Ministers and bring up the
additional questions arising from the aircraft engineering
dispute.
2. I further understand that Mr. Jenkins will be getting in touch with the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA),
the American Airlines Union and QANTAS. As Mr. Gibson said "all these people have obligations to Clive Jenkins and he wants to get them lined up in support if there is going to be a strike over this recognition issue in Hong Kong".
3. The line taken in Hong Kong telegrams is that no union has been recognised there for bargaining purposes and it
would therefore be a new step in Hong Kong which the employer in this case is unwilling to pioneer. (This is also the view apparently of M.P.B.W. and which we need to explore further). My own recollection is that prior to
/"confrontation"
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