9PS300 PRIORITY
CYPHER CATA
FM FCO 0511502
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
1.
TO PRIORITY SYDNEY TEL NO 14 OF 5 MAY.
135
PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO PROFESSOR TURNER, C/O SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, FROM STEWART, HK G D.
1. THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A MESSAGE WE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
OF HONG KONG ON 29 APRIL FOLLOWING DISCUSSION OF YOUR INTERIM AND
PROVISIONAL REVIEW AT THE MEETING OF THE OVERSEAS LABOUR CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE THAT DAY :
QUOTE
AT THE MEETING OF THE OL C C HELD TODAY, TU C REPRESENTATIVES, AS PREDICTED IN MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, REFERRED TO THEIR PREVIOUS PROPOSAL THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT T U C REPRESENTATION ON THE
TURNER ENQUIRY. IT PROVED POSSIBLE TO HEAD OFF A RENEWAL OF THIS
PROPOSAL BY DIVERTING T U C ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A MEET-
ING BETWEEN THEM AND PROFESSOR TURNER IN LONDON THIS SUMMER BEFORE
HE COMPLETES THE FINAL PHASE OF HIS ENQUIRIES, WE CONSIDER SUCH A
MEETING WOULD BE OF THE GREATEST VALUE, NOT LEAST IN SECURING RECOG- NITION BY THE TU C THAT TURNER'S FINA!. REPORT WILL BE AUTHORITATIVE.
A LONDON VISIT BY TURNER WOULD PUT AN END TO ANY LINGERING TUC
WISH TO SEND A GENERAL COUNCIL MEMBER TO HONG KONG TO ACT IN ASS- OCIATION WITH TURNER.
1 SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PUT THIS TO TURNER DURING HIS
FORTHCOMING VISIT TO HONG KONG. STEWART'S IMPRESSION DURING HIS LAST
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION TO SYDNEY WAS THAT TURNER DID INTEND TO VISIT
BRITAIN THIS SUMMER.
MR JONES MADE IT CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE TU C'S MAIN CONCERNS WAS THAT
ACTION ON TURNER'S INTERIM CONCLUSIONS SHOULD NOT BE HELD UP PENDING
COMPLETION OF THE FINAL REPORT. HE REFERRED PARTICULARLY TO THE
QUESTION OF THE MINIMUM WAGE (PARA 89(1) OF THE REPORT) AND SAID THIS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED UP IMMEDIATELY,
A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING WILL BE SENT BY BAG.
UNQUOTE.
2. IN VIEW OF THE MINISTER'S COMMITMENT TO THE TU C, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHETHER YOU
WILL BE ABE TO COME TO LONDON THIS SUMMER.
OWEN
FILES
HK JG D
OLA
PS/LORD GURGNLY RUBERTS PS/MRLUARD
MR CURTAZZI MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL
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