HXK3/5/8/3
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q faccion
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Fara(s)
LORD GOROMY-ROBERTS'S ME,TING WITH TILJ GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG:
2 DECEMBER 1975
BRIEF NO. 5(a)
LABOUR RELATIONS AND TRADE UNION AFFAIRS
REL
RET
10 DECIS
26
Lino to Take
1.
to the
I recommend that the irister makes the following points
Governor:
(a) There is disquiet in the Labour Hovement here about
the labour relations situation in liong Kong. In order to answer the criticism, and to avoid any pressure for some public investigation into this
(b)
(c)
器
situation, we feel that a low profile academic study would be useful;
The modalities of such a study remain to be worked out but we see advantage in the initiative coming from the Governor in order to secure maximum cooperation from industry in Hong Kong;
We accept the Governor's view, which Mr Youde in Peking shares, that it would be unwise to raise the question of the. Communist trade unions' participation in the processes of government in Hong Kong with the Chinese authorities and will advise the Secr tery of State accordingly in connection with his visit to Peking next May.
Background
2.
Both the TUC and the NLC have expressed concern at the relative weakness of the unions in Hong Kong. At moetings with the Secretary of State they have been sceptical that the explanation lice in the fragmentation of the unions, resulting partly from the differing political allegiances of the working population and partly from the fragmentation of industry itself. The PUC and the NLC will not be satisfied until they have been given a full and detailed explanation of what is holding up the development of trade unionism
/in an
CONVIDENTIAL
M