Mr Cortazz
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts
CONFIDENTIAL
To isme
HKK 430||
INDEX
S RY notion Taken
at 228
Zolat
HONG KONG: SHORTHAND AND AUDIO-TYPISTS ASSOCIATION
26
1. In his minute of 4 April on my submission below, Lord Goronwy- Roberts says that it would be wholly unsatisfactory to accept that the dispute between the Hong Kong Government and their Shorthand and Audio-Typists' Association should be regarded as an internal matter and left to be dealt with in Hong Kong.
2. We are, therefore, proposing to write to the new Secretary for the Civil Service in Hong Kong, stressing that this dispute does still remain a live issue here and urging him to take positive measures to reach at least an interim settlement. We shall point out that if this is not done, there is a danger that the
Hong Kong Government's handling of the dispute will be seen here as symptomatic of the sensitivity in Hong Kong over labour
in-
relations generally, and thus could lead to widespread unfavourable publicity going well beyond the merits of this particular case.
3. In the meantime, I attach a revised draft reply to the Political Secretary of the South Suburban Co-operative Society.
7 April 1978
W.E. Chantill
WE Quantrill
Hong Kong & General Dept
I think that Mr Stewart should have a word with the Sovernor about this.
Das Glid. 7//x
CONFIDENTIAL