Pro
3.
The proposed amendments to the draft Bill meet all three
major objections to the Bill which have come to us from various sources, ie removal of "offences against public order";
removal
of "obstruction" offences under the picketing laws; and removal
of the provisions for temporary associations. The matters now
being raised by the TUC are for the main part matters that derive
from the principal Ordinance, which have been on the Statute Book for some years. An exception is the TUC's complaint about the removal of legal protection from the peaceful picketing of private homes; but as this and the other matters referred to at (i) (v)
above are reflected in one degree or another in the UK Industrial
Relations Bill now before Parliament, it would be profitless to
begin a debate about these at the present time.
4. A meeting was held on 5 January 1971 between officials of the TUC and the FCO at which these problems were discussed fully. The proceedings of the meeting were to be reported by the TUC representatives to the General Council of the TUC and a further approach to Ministers is a possibility.
5. I have delayed submission of these papers until we knew the exact form in which the Bill is to be introduced into Legislative Council. In his telegram No 130 of 25 February the Governor told us that the Bill had been cleared by Executive Council on 16 February and would be published on 26 February. All the amendments of which we were informed in Sir H Norman-Walker's letter of
9 November 1970 have been accepted by the Council, and there has been an additional relaxation by the deletion of "crimes of
violence".
G62) Pre 6. A copy of the amended Bill is attached. I recommend that
Mr Royle should reply to Mr Feather on the lines of the draft attached which has been prepared by the Overseas Labour Adviser. I also recommend that a letter be sent to Sir H Norman-Walker (draft attached).
7.
This submission has been cleared with the Overseas Labour
Adviser.
4 March 1971
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E O Laird
Hong Kong Department
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