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Registry
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT
Type 1 +
submission
To:-
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
Mr Wilford
Sir Leslie Monson Miss Deas
HONG KONG: TRADE UNION LEGISLATION
From
Forand
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
1. A letter dated 31 December has been received by
Mr Royle from Victor Feather, the General Secretary
of the Trades Union Congress, regretting that the
Trades Union Registration (Amendment) Bill cannot be
held up since the TUC's main objectives remain unchanged
2.
main
At the subsequent meeting with TUC officials on
appeared
5 January, the TUC's objections appear to be as follows:
3.
i. The corporate status of unions in Hong Kong
(section 13 of the principal Ordinance) which is
seen by the TUC as the basis for making unions.
liable to legal proceedings, including criminal
prosecutions, and for the depletion of their funds
by payment of fines.
ii. Removal of the legal protection for the peace-
ful picketing of homes and the general failure
to afford pickets reasonable access to workers for
Line
the communication of information.
iii. The powers of the Registrar, which are said to
be excessive and becoming increasingly restrictive.
In addition, the TUC wants suitable legal safe-
guards to be framed for the protection of members of
"temporary combinations" which would not be a possible
cause of union fragmentation, a criticism levied against
the provisions relating to "temporary trade unions"
contained in an earlier version of the Bill.
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