severe restrictions. 51 In particular, no union is allowed to establish a political fund for its members. No union is allowed to affiliate to an international organisation (or to a union in another country, including Britain and China) without special per-
ion of the Governor in Council, thus barring any effective international soli- darity. Membership of a union is restricted to persons "habitually engaged or em- ployed in the relevant industry" (Trade Union Registration Ordinance, 1961). This legislation militates against broad-based unions of the "general" type which have emerged in Britain, for example. It must also be remembered that such legislation has specific effects in a context of low wages, bad working conditions and very high labour turnover - as is the case in Hong Kong. In 1966, for example, less than 60% of the economically active population in the Colony were regular full-time employees. The other 40% would be unable to join a union. Unlike in Britain and elsewhere, this measure is not self-protection by the working class, but discrimin- atory legislation by the régime.
Secondly, the Government has refused to enact legislation to protect the basic rights of workers. Less than one third of the I.L.O. Conventions ratified by Britain are in force in Hong Kong.52 It may be remembered that when the I.L.O. was first set up in 1919, Japan offered to ratify the main conventions if Britain and the other European colonial powers would apply these conventions in their colonies and concessions, such as Shanghai and Hong Kong. Britain refused. This refusal continues today, and is particularly striking since Britain is applying far lower standards to its industrial (and allegedly "prosperous") colony than are in operation in much poorer countries such as Algeria and Egypt. Of the conventions ratified by Britain, 36 are not applied in Hong Kong at all ("decision reserved") and 7 are applied "with modification". In 1974, in the territory which, it is officially claimed, has the second highest per capita income in Asia (excluding the Middle East), for which a Labour Government elected by the British people is responsible, there is: no minimum wage, no paid maternity leave, no sickness benefit, no medical atten- tion free to all, no unemployment insurance, no pension, and no insurance provi- sion for widows with young children.53 This refusal to enact protective legislation can not be interpreted as anything but active intervention by the Government on behalf of business interests. The lack of social services, the refusal to make education compulsory, the poor housing and the lack of factory legislation combine with the derisory taxation of the rich, lackadaisical attitudes towards company accounts, etc., to form an all-embracing system of assistance to capital and discrimination against the working population.
One finds thus that during Hong Kong's period of fastest growth and greatest prosperity that the Colony had: by far the highest level of utilisation of plant in the textile industry in Asia: in 1965 looms were employed the equivalent of 24 hours a day for 360 days in the year. No other country approached even 75% of this figure.54 That in 1968 Hong Kong workers had the longest working day and the longest working week of city dwellers in Southeast Asia: 58% worked 7 days a week, and 52% worked 10 hours or more a day. There is no legal limit on the hours worked by males over 18. When the Government introduced a regulation making four days rest a month compulsory (these four days include Sundays, not in addition to them) many workers signed agreements with employers to forfeit
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