18
III. Explanations of Union Weakness or Industrial
Relations Immaturity
27.
As regards the weakness of trade unions, and the comparitive
absence of labour pressure for social progress, we were given a variety of
explanations, which fall broadly into two groups. The first contains
the following complementary propositions:
i)
To quote a letter signed "A Major Hong Kong Industrial
Labour Employer" in the South China Morning Post of Dec.
8th :
".......... the interplay of free market forces in
improving the working conditions and benefits realised
by workers (is) a direct result of intense competition
for labour in a labour-limited community". It is argued
that the normal situation of the labour market has been
one of comparative labour scarcity, with interruptions like
the 1974 recession being (though in that case fairly
intense) rare and brief in their effects. Hong Kong is
a concentrated urban community, the labour force is 85%
literate, communication via both traditional and modern
methods (the clan and the extended family on the one hand,
the prolific Chinese press and the virtually free telephone
system on the other) is high, so that workers are made
readily aware of alternative job opportunities. The
refugee background of the labour force encouraged
adaptation, flexibility and initiative, which makes the
Hong Kong worker unusually willing to change jobs and
exploit favourable labour market situations.
ii) Employers themselves compete freely for labour. Moreover
there is a strong paternalistic element in their attitude, and a belief in principle that it is both proper and wipe to ensure that a share in evident prosperity be passed on to their employees. The bigger firms, at least (which
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