JEDINICA D
-4-
It was
Trade unionism might be promoted by building on organisations in sectors not covered by unions associated with the FTU and the HKTUC and it would be helpful if Professor Turner were to examine the potential for trade unionism in these sectors. not clear how workpeople in Hong Kong sought improvement in their pay and conditions and the study should provide the answer to this question. Dr Fosh said that long Kong employers anticipated workers' demands by raising wages and Mr Hargreaves commented that, if this were so, Hong Kong employers must be unique. He pointed out that the interim report had drawn attention to imperfections in labour mobility and that employers' need to raise wages to retain labour did not operate over wide sectors. It might be that the activities of the Labour Department in raising standards and extending protection had discouraged the development of unions. There were peripheralareas in which progress might be made and the final report should deal ́in detail with the position in the civil service. The TUC had attempted to assist unions there a few years ago but had been discouraged from doing so by the British Government. Professor Turner said that there were problems in respect of unions in the civil service. The Staff Council was not representative of manual workers; there was a multiplicity of unions and competition between them; and there was no comprehensive structure for pay negotiations or a formal grievance procedure. Mr Hargreaves commented that there was no reason for trade unions to worry about the multiplicity of organisations or formal bargaining procedures. It might be the case that a multiplicity of small unions were appropriate in Hong Kong and there was no reason why the trade union structure in Hong Kong should be like that in the UK. Mr Smith however, expressed the view that the continued fragmentation of trades unions was likely to be harmful to their development even in Hong Kong.
14. At this point Mr Hargreaves apologised for having to leave the meeting and Professor Turner suggested that the TUC might let him have their views by letter.
15. Mr Smith said that the TUC had been critical of the FCO approach to the development of trade unionism and improvement of working and living conditions in Hong Kong and Professor Turner commented that the major pressure for improvement was exerted by the Hong Kong Government. Mr Smith said that antipathy on the part of several British unions towards Hong Kong was likely to persist.
Meeting with the CBI. Tothill Street 2.45 pm
16. The party met Mr Martin Morton at CBI headquarters. Mr Morton said that the CBI had little expertise concerning Hong Kong and had not attempted to influence developments there in the labour field. It was not possible to obtain the views of Hong Kong employees on the report since it was confidential and the CBI hoped that restrictions on its distribution would soon be lifted. It was recalled that the CBI had expressed some concern at the view of Professor Hart that employers in Hong Kong were adequately organised and had pointed out that deve- lopments in industrial relations in Hong Kong might find employers' organisations at a disadvantage vis à vis trade unions.
Professor Turmer
/said
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