Mr EP Ho
2 March 1978
writing to you about Convention 144. In such cases we believe it would be wrong for a Minister to state that a particular Convention had been applied, even though the necessary legislation may well have been passed in Hong Kong. I hope, therefore, that you can agree to our muggestion.
4. Looking beyond 1978 we agree that there are few areas where progress can be made without significant policy changes, Certainly we could not ask for any movement on those Conventions dealing with labour relations until after Professor Turner's report has been studied, nor would we ask for any movement on those Conventions concerned with social security until you and we have had a chance to assess the success of the voluntary contributory scheme now under consideration.
5. There are, however, three Conventions where some progress might in our view be possible after 1978:
(a) 100 Equal remmaration.
Given that the public sector has accepted with few problems the phased introduction of equal pay, is it not possible to consider again the principle being taken up in the private sector?
(b) 1201 Hygiene (commerce and offices).
This sets the requirements which one would expect any reasonable employer to accept as a matter of course. I would, therefore, have thought that legislation enabling application of this Convention could well find general favour.
(o) 1401 Paid educational leave.
In Armax IV to your letter of 5 January you rightly pointed out that emphasis had been put on paid annual leave. Now that this has been achieved would it be possible to turn to educational leave?
6. As you appreciate, the field of labour conditions and ILO Conventions is one in which Ministers take a particularly keen interest and they are very anxious that the maximam possible progress be made. I hope, therefore, that you can agree to review your position on these three Conventions.
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JA B Stewart
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