11
22.
It is, in any case, generally agreed that "collective agreements"
do not lead, but follow, the pattern set by wage-movements elsewhere,
and do not provide superior terms than conditions determined autonomously
by major private managements, except perhaps in respect of some fringe
benefits. It is also clear that real disputes do not occur so much
about wages or terms of employment as about dismissals or job-security
questions. Of the 17 Strikes reported by the Labour Department in 1975,
10 arose directly from dismissals, redundancy or similar issues. Of the
125 labour disputes (ie collective disputes on substantive matters as
opposed to individual and group grievances or "matters of right")
handled by Department in that year, no less than 93 were connected with
such causes (including 56 which came within the scope of the Employment
Ordinance's recent provisions for severance pay): only 21 arose from
wage rates, working conditions or terms of employment. I understand that
in many, if not most, of these stoppages or disputes, action was taken
(or the Department involved) by workers spontaneously, without union
initiative.
23.
In
It is said by several managements that, although no negotiations
occurred with unions on annual wage-revisions or the like, discussions
took place in joint consultative bodies which "helped to guide" firms in
their periodic wage-revisions. The Labour Department has been anxious
to promote joint consultation, and at last report (end-1975) recorded
54 formal joint consultative committees as functioning in 24 establish- ments. We were not, however, impressed by the representative character
or effect of those in the several firms where the existence of such
bodies was mentioned to us. In one, for instance, no elections had been
held for several years; retiring members nominated their successors.
another, the workers' representatives were nominated by supervisors. In
yet another, operatives had only a small representation on the Committee.
Joint consultation, quite apart from its intention, cannot be held to
compensate for the weakness of collective bargaining in Hong Kong.
24. Perhaps the most extraordinary situation arises in the Public
Service itself. There is an annual discussion of possible salary
revisions through the Senior Civil Service Council, chaired by the
Secretary for the Civil Service, and composed of "official side" members
and what are described in the last Report on the Civil Service (1975/76)
as "members nominated by the three main Staff Associations (the Hong Kong
Chinese Civil Servants Association, the Association of Expatriate Civil
/Servants