CONFIDENTIAL
3. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT HE CONTACTED ANY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
STAFF ASSOCIATIONS DURING HIS STAY OR THAT HE APPROACHED
THE HONG KONG AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING COMPANY (HAECO). WHEN HERE BEFORE, IN 1970, HE MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO GET MORE PAY FOR SOME
HAECO WORKERS.
4. THE CHINA MAIL SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED COMMENTS BY THE DEPUTY
COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR. THE MAIN POINTS MADE WERE:
(A) GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SEE STRONG BUT RESPONSIBLE
IN HONG KONG:
TRADE UNIONS
(B) IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, HONG KONG WAGES ARE LOWER ONLY THAN
THOSE OF JAPAN:
(C) THE REAL WAGES INDEX HERE HAS RISEN BY 56 PER CENT SINCE 1964.
5. I SHOULD EXPECT MR JENKINS TO RAISE THE SORT OF MATTER THAT
THE CHINA MAIL QUOTED HIM AS MENTIONING. THIS IS ALL FAMILIAR GROUND, AND THOUGH I HOPE THE MATERIAL IN PARAGRAPH 4 MAY BE OF USE I WILL NOT AGAIN REHEARSE OUR GENERAL PROBLEMS ABOUT GETTING
EFFECTIVE TRADE UNIONS ORGANIZED HERE.
FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
MACLEHOSE
FILES
OLA
HKIOD
PS TO MR RCYLE
SIR D WATSON
MR WILFORD
- 2 - CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO:
H.K. GOVT.OFFICE LONDON
E