L. AIRMAIL
Your ref. LA 393/7 of 9.10.75
Our ref. TC 32/606
19
H.R.G. Hurst, Esq.,
Deputy Overseas Labour Adviser, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London SW 1,
England.
Dear
Harr's
-
COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR
LEE GARDENS/5
HYSAN AVENUE
CAUSEWAY BAY
O. L
Ở HONG KONG
23rd October 1975
Reserv
VO N
0.51
NICK
5/28
The Office Employees Union (Registered No. 461 Neutral) was registered on 9th January 1970 and caters for persons employed in any capacity, other than managerial, in offices. Apart from a declared intention to interest itself in industrial relations matters, the union aims to encourage its members to join the credit union movement.
2.
The registered office of the union is the same as that of the premises of the Industrial Relations Institute (IRI), a locally registered society and the liaison office in Hong Kong for the World Confederation of Labour. The IRI was the prime mover behind the formation of the union in 1970. It is understood that the union has been allowed to share the premises on a rent free basis. The Chairman of the IRI is one Fr. McGovern, the Jesuit priest.
༣.
The union has undertaken very few netivities. It hon never been on a firm footing since ita inception: indifference as well as inefficiency on the part of the committee almost brought the union to the point of collapse in 1973. Though subsequently it rallied slightly, its general and financial administration showed no improvement. The declared member- ship of the union was 15 at the end of 1974 while the estimated paid-up membership was 10. If the current membership position is as stated to the TUC, then the union can hardly exist legally.
[4.
In the past the union claimed to have organized training courses for members and non-members but I believe that none of these got off the ground, because of the lack of participants. The Chairman of the union, Mr. LUNG Chun-kei (in Chinese custom, the family name precedes the personal name) is in fact the General Secretary of the IRI and a protégé of Fr. McGovern. The IRI itself runs a series of training courses on workers' education, and in this respect the Labour Department assists, as it would other bona fide organizations, by providing lectures free of charge to explain the provisions of labour and factory legislation. Recently the IRI acknowledged the assistance of the Labour Department by presenting to us a couple of "banners" (another Chinese custom!) in appreciation of services rendered.
/5. It seems
29
10.
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