CONFIDENTIAL
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Labour
6.
Satisfactory progress is also being made with regard to measures in the labour field. Provision has been made for a
weekly rest day and an increase from six to ten in the number of statutory holidays, both with effect from the beginning of next year. The Executive Council has already approved a proposal for one week's paid holiday with effect from January 1978. The first steps have been taken to prohibit the employment of minors under 14 years of age by 1979 and under 15 years of age by 1980. (Although these measures which are politically sensitive must remain confidential at present.) The Commissioner for Labour, in his statement during the recent session of the Legislative Council, announced, as planned, proposals for improved sickness benefits and redundancy payments, a compensation scheme for workers suffering from silicosis, a whole range of measures designed to improve safety regulations in industrial establishments and various other
proposals to protect the interests of workers. The programme of labour legislation already in train should enable the Hong Kong Government to improve their declarations on five ILO conventions this year.
If this does prove possible, Hong Kong will have done as well in this respect this year as in the last three years taken
together.
Institutional
7.
As also agreed during the Governor's last visit, eight new Unofficial Members were appointed to the Legislative Council at the end of August with a view to ensuring that opinion in the Council is more representative of all sections of the community in Hong Kong. The new members include a trade unionist and three other persons closely associated with the working population in Hong Kong and their problems. These new members have already begun to make their mark in the Legislative Council and they seem likely to be helpful to the Governor in carrying out the programme of reforms.
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/ CONCLUSIONS
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