A tilting argument
so ther
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British captains. There are at present too few deck. officers, especially in the lower ranks, and the changes in the examination requirements have resulted in a marked diminution of passes to the higher ranks. A Hong Kong demand could be met only by promotions; its effect would therefore extend down through the levels, and lead to a severe shortage of qualified British deck officers.
Hitherto, as you know, the impeccably high reputation of the BOT/DTI administration has protected the British Register against the allegations which could otherwise have been made that it is a flag of convenience. But the creation of a block of tonnage flying the British flag and thought, however wrongly, to be constructed and operating to a different set of standards, might well tip the present somewhat delicate balance against the British flag as a whole. As you know,
As you know, the U.K. Unions have a suspicion of, and indeed an aversion to, a separate Hong Kong Register. At present the employment of Hong Kong seafarers at Hong Kong rates of pay in British ships, without regard to the port of registry (whether it be Hong Kong or a port in the U.K.) has been tacitly accepted.
If a separate Hong Kong Register were established, the unions might well influence the ITF to regard the Hong Kong Register as being equivalent - by way of standards - to a flag of convenience register. In that event, ITF affiliates would be likely to try to enforce the payment of wages at least at the U.K. level, and possibly at the ITF level.
Alternatively, the ITF might take the line that the creation of a Hong Kong Register puts ships on that Register in a separate category to those on the U.K. Register, and in a position to be dealt with by union action in Hong Kong. A corollary of that would almost certainly be a demand that Hong Kong crews in U.K. ships should be paid at U.K. rates.
In either event, the commercial position, and even existence, of the 277 ships with one or more departments manned by Chinese would be at serious risk.
(1) We understand that Hong Kong owners have indicated that
they expect the appeal of the Hong Kong Register, together with their on-the-spot recruiting drive, to create an immediate increase in the supply of Hong Kong ratings. We do not doubt that in the longer term such an increase can be brought about, but there is at present no shortage of shore jobs in Hong Kong and the training of seamen takes time and facilities. British owners believe that, in the short term, a severe shortage of Hong Kong crews would develop and that, due to the very factors mentioned by the Hong Kong owners, U.K. owned vessels now operating with Hong Kong Chinese crews would suffer.
they would ask for higher pay dinand would then follo
low
(g)
The Chinese Government's dislike of the Taiwan Government is such that any concessions given to Taiwanese nationals may well lead to counter action by the Chinese Government against British ships in general. Trade with China is most important, and it would seem a serious mistake to prejudice it by giving any preferential treatment to Taiwanese nationals.