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d. The Walk-out (July 6, 1977)
As our union got no positive response from the official side at the Departmental Consultative Machinery - the Education Department Consultative Council ever since October 1976, our representatives tabled a written protest at the commencement of the Council meeting held in the morning of 6 July 1977, and walked out. We learned afterwards that the government announcement was put forward during that meeting and then made known to the public in the afternoor. Our Union responded at once through mass media and an extraordinary general meeting was called on 10 July 1977 as stated in the beginning of this appeal.
IV, Comments:
a. Out of a total of 3,300 government educational workers, 2,400 are non-
graduate teachers. 1,600 are teaching in government primary schools and 1,200 of them are one-year trained. In the primary aided sector there are 12,000 non-graduate teachers, the majority of which are one-year trained. According to the government's way of calculation, there will be a surplus of over 5,000 primary aided school teachers in 1980. So we can see how serious the situation will be.
If the govern- ment teachers cannot protect themselves, the aided school teachers will be the next to go.
So,
b. The teachers' pay dispute in 1972-1973 gave birth to our Union. We
remained the most militant civil servant union ever since. Actually, out of the 80 civil servants unions, ours is the fifth largest one. if we cannot stand this storm, the job-security of all 110,000 civil servants will be affected and there will be a draw back of trade union movement in the public services.
c. Our union has resolved to fight this war to the last man, and we have
great confidence in winning. As a matter of fact, we find this a golden opportunity to draw all independent civil servants unions together to fight for a common cause. In so doing, we sincere hope solidarity among all civil servants unions and teachers unions in Hong Kong will be strengthened.
V. Expectation:
As affiliated member of the INFEDOP and WCT, our union would like to take this opportunity to present our case at the Joint Conference of the Co- ordinating Committee for Public Servants and Coordinating Committee for Teachers in Bangkok, Thailand on 28 to 30 July 1977. We deeply believe that international moral support will certainly help, not only this case for our union, but also in promoting solidarity of Civil Servants Unions and Teachers Unions in Hong Kong.
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