23
of the shipyards in 1969/70, involving 5000 workers) in which no union
appeared to have been even involved. Though we were quoted no very
recent and confirmed instances of victimisation in the sense of actual
dismissal for union activity, it was on several occasions suggested to us
that active union members suffered by transfer to more unpleasant or
arduous jobs, or to work with low promotion prospects. And we received
a definite impression in our first survey of factory workers that
respondents were sometimes unwilling to answer questions about trade
unions from fear of identification with them rather than from ignorance
(which led us to phrase our second questionnaire with particular cape to
avoid this possibility's recurrence).
32.
These two rival clusters of arguments involve propositions
about first, the character of the Hong Kong labour market, second the
attitudes of workers and employees, and third the effects of Hong Kong's
particular trade union situation. To attempt to resolve them we
explored each of these aspects more closely.
The first question is
immediately critical because if in fact the situation of the Hong Kong
worker in the labour market is such that "all is for the best in his best
of available worlds", there is no reason to pursue the other questions
more closely.