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CONFIDENTIAL HM Land
i
Ref. CR 169/65
O IN
REGISTRY No. 51
20 AUG 1971
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT,
HONG KONG.
10th August 1971.
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My darn Leslie,
HKK 5/23
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Very many thanks for your letter of 3rd June concerning the extension for a further year of the arrange- ments for the employment of women at night in industrial undertakings. I have waited until now before replying to give time for any significant publicity to emerge.
In the event, there was very little local criticism of the extended scheme, and such as there was came from a predictable and limited sector, and amounted to little more than a formal expression of dissent, necessitated by that sector's original objection to the scheme. Only the Young Christian Workers, supported by the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee through its newspapers, "The Workers Weekly" which also objected last year, voiced any open opposition. In March 1970 the Girls Branch of the Young Christian Workers sent a letter of protest to the Labour Department about night work for women, and a group claiming to represent them paid two visits to the Department a number of weeks ago.
The Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee is financed by the Anglican Episcopal Church of Christ in China. It meets regularly for discussion of questions con- cerning industry and the Church. It also issues leaflets on industrial questions. "The Workers Weekly" published in Chinese is usually critical of the Labour Department in particular and of the Hong Kong Government in general. It is believed to have a circulation of some 6,000 copies but its influence is limited. The same applies, a fortiori, to the influence of the Young Christian Workers and the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee.
There was also some reaction from the Cotton Industry Workers' General Union which wrote privately to the Commissioner of Labour merely expressing concern. This Union has a declared
Sir Leslie Monson, KCMG, CB,
Foreign and Commonwealth office, London, S. W. 1,
U.K.
CONFIDENTIAL
/membership