GR 645
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 1907412
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TEL NO.78 OF 19 JANUARY 78,
INFO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
YOUR TELNO.53: P.Q ON TURNER STUDY.
_HICK 212/1
Ac
8
ken
No
720/1
NO DIRECT
1. FRONT PAGE OF HONG KONG STANDARD OF 17 JANUARY CARRIED DATELINE LONDON REPORT ON TURNER'S INTERIM REPORT. QUOTES GIVEN, BUT REFERENCE IS MADE TO ''SOURCES IN LONDON
THE TWO POINTS COVERED WHO HAVE READ THE INTERIM REPORT''.
SUBSTANCE
RELATE TO THE DISINTEREST OF BOTH FTU AND HKTUC IN LABOUR RELATIONS AND THE SUGGESTION ABOUT A MINIMUM WAGE. OF REPORT IS ACCURATE ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT MENTION THE TENTATIVE NATURE OF TURNER'S SUGGESTION FOR A MINIMUM WAGE.
2. STANDARD OF 18 JANUARY CARRIED COMMENTS OF THREE COMMUNITY LEADERS CONTACTED BY THEM AND REPORTED ''ALL THESE LEADERS CAST DOUBTS ON THE FEASIBILITY OF A MINIMUM WAGE HERE''. THE THREE PERSONS CONCERNED WERE J.P. LEE, SECRETARY OF THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, MR LEE SHING-CHU, HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INTERNATIONAL METAL WORKERS FEDERATION AND DR L.K. DING, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHRISTIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE. DR DING IS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN HONG KONG.
3. SCMP OF 18 JANUARY ALSO PUBLISHED COMMENTS ON THE MINIMUM WAGE CONCEPT BY TWO UNOFFICIAL LEGCO MEMBERS JAMES WU AND LEUNG TAT-SHING WHO DESCRIBED IT AS IMPRACTICAL.
THIS MORNING'S ISSUE OF SCMP REPORTED THAT THEIR LONDON POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT HAS CONTACTED A HIGH-RANKING WHITEHALL OFFICIAL YESTERDAY WHO SAID THAT PROF. TURNER WOULD VISIT HONG KONG AGAIN IN MARCH BEFORE DRAFTING A FINAL REPORT AND THAT THE INTERIM REPORT ''WAS ONLY A HINT OF THE IDEAS'' AT WHICH HE WAS LOOKING, AND THAT ''ANY SUGGESTION THAT HE HAS PREPARED AND SUBMITTED DETAILED PLANS
THIS REPORT ADDS THAT FOR A MINIMUM WAGE IS WIDE OF THE MARK''.
SOURCES IN BRITAIN INDICATE THAT WHEN PROF. TURNER SUBMITS HIS REPORT IN APRIL IT IS UNLIKELY TO INCLUDE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
TO