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HONG KONG: THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS
1.
At the meeting on 23 April, the Secretary of State undertook to examine the extent to which International Labour Conventions are
being applied in Hong Kong and to consider new arrangements for keeping the Colony's record in this matter under review.
2.
The United Kingdom Government has ratified 68 International Labour Conventions out of a total of 143 adopted by the ILO since 1919. Under the Constitution of the ILO, when the United Kingdom Government ratifies a Convention, it is required, within a reasonable period,
to make a formal declaration to the ILO of the extent to which that
Convention will be applied in the Dependent Territories.
3.
21 Conventions have been fully applied and 10 further Conventions applied with modifications. Currently a further 5
important Conventions are the subject of special examination with a view to declarations being made. These are:
Protection against Accidents (Dockers) (Revised) Labour Clauses (Public Contracts)
No. 14
Weekly Rest (Industry)
No. 32
No. 94
No. 95
No. 97
Migration for Employment (Revised)
Protection of Wages
4.
The Hong Kong Government has also been advised, in view of the growing size of the Colony's maritime interests, that a special
review should be undertaken of these Maritime Conventions which have
been applied by the United Kingdom. The various Social Security Conventions have no application, there being no system of social insurance in Hong Kong. The reporting requirements imposed on Member States by the ILO's Constitution ensure that the progress made by non-metropolitan territories towards implementing the requirements of Conventions ratified by HMG is kept under continuing review. Each ratified Convention is reported on at least once every two years.
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