5
and industrial undertakings. From my own expérience I
know that my Unofficial Colleagues do in fact maintain an objective and impartial attitude towards legislation which seeks to improve conditions of work and provide protection
for labour. But for so long as the Unofficial composition
of this Council is seen to be comprised of managers alone, be, they professional or owner managers, there is bound to be criticism and suspicion by the general public hore and
by our critics overseas. It would therefore be a move forward in the right direction if appointment can be made to this Council of persons who can themselves speak for
the workers of Hong Kong who number more than a million
in our 4 million population.
་ ་ .•
Whilst on the subject of labour, I could not agree more
with you, Sir, when you said: "Hong Kong's prosperity depends fundamentally on its principal resource, its.
diligent and adaptable work force". In the absence of
wide spread cffective trade unionism, Government has the
special responsibility to ensure that labour would get
a fair share of our success and to seek continual improve-.
ment in working conditions and terms of employment in line
with the advancement in cur industrial development.
You, Sir, have already given in your Address to this Council
a resume of our recent achievement in labour legislation
and indicated what the Government would propose for the
coming years. However, there is one particular area of
labour 'welfare which the Unofficial Members would like to
draw the attention of Government.
1
}.
The lack of long-term benefits for industrial, workers has
attracted adverse comments from many people who have interest in our labour conditions Fractically all
remunerations in industry are based on the short-term
approach. For the mass of manual workers in Hong Kong, retirement benefits in the form of pension schemes or provident fund are, with a few exceptions, 'almost unheard of.
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