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trade unionists would go to other shops to buy the fruit they wanted. There was no reaction from the delegates at these words.
Developing Countries
23. Mr D Warburton of the NUGMW pointed out, in connection with a paragraph of the General Council Report concerning consultative arrangements within the Commonwealth, that the Canadian Labour Congress had taken an initiative to establish a Commonwealth trade union committee. Mr Warburton asked that the General Council should not regard a Commonwealth committee as fulfilling their entire responsib- ility to developing countries. In many non-Commonwealth developing countries multinational companies were actively undermining the development of trade unionism. The trade union movement should take what action it could to ensure that workers in developing countries were employed on reasonable terms and conditions. He himself had taken part in an Industrial Committee of the ILO which had urged that chemical plants in developing countries should provide the best health and safety conditions possible, despite strong resistance from employers' representatives.
Hong Kong
24.
Mr H Gibson of the Hosiery and Knitwear Workers Union pointed out that no final report had yet been received from Professor Turner concerning labour relations in Hong Kong. The British Government were responsible for the Colony and should begin work on introducing democratic representation there. Mr Gibson urged that Professor Turner's report should be produced quickly. For the General Council Mr Jones replied that he had no information on the report and that the General Council would make enquiries of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and would supplement this action by a direct approach to Professor Turner who was well known as a friend of the trade union movement.
Overseas Guests
25. As usual, the General Council had invited fraternal delegates and a number of overseas guests to attend the Congress. The fraternal addresses of Mr Glenn Watts of the AFL-CIO and Mr Dennis McDermott of the Canadian Labour Congress were warmly received by the delegates on the first morning of the Congress. Mr Watts avoided the customary controversial remarks about international relations, concentrating on the US domestic economic situation and on the international trade position. He said that the AFL-CIO and the TUC did not always see eye to eye on some matters but that there was no difference among those who had a love for democracy and freedom of speech. The posture of the United States on the whole question of human rights had renewed his faith in America. The approach of participants at the ILO Conference in June gave encouragement to people in the United States but some issues of basic interest to the United States had not yet been fully resolved and required further
/review.
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