CONFIDENTIAL
HAVE THE MOST SERIOUS ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS. IT WOULD TEND TO DIVERT RESOURCES FROM THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY TO THE
CIVIL SERVICE. GIVEN HONG KONG'S TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON TRADE FOR EVERYTHING, INCLUDING SOCIAL PROGRESS, THIS WOULD BE
DISASTROUS:
(D) IF ''EQUAL PAY'' WERE STILL A LIVE ISSUE, THE SATS WOULD NOT
BE THE ONLY GRADE WHO WOULD CLAIM THAT THEY SUFFERED FROM HAVING
NO MALE ANALOGUES. MISS SO'S CLAIM TO THIS EFFECT IS NOT CORRECT. ALL FOUR GRADES IN THE SECRETARIAL CLASS (SECRETARIES, SAT'S, TYPISTS AND CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANTS) WERE IN THE SAME POSITION. 3 OF THESE GRADES HAVE ACCEPTED THE RESTRUCTURING OFFERED BY THE
GOVERNMENT AND EVEN WITH THE SAT'S THE POSITION IS THAT: (1) THEIR ASSOCIATION'S ORIGINAL COMMITTEE ACCEPTED THE RESTRUCTURING:
(11) THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERSHIP HAVE EITHER ACCEPTED THE RESTRUCTURING OR BEEN APPOINTED SINCE IT TOOK EFFECT: (E) ALTHOUGH THE DELEGATION SEEMS TO HAVE CAUSED SOME STIR IN LONDON, ITS ACTIVITIES PRODUCED FEW RIPPLES IN HONG KONG. ONLY ABOUT 20 OF THEIR COLLEAGUES WERE AT THE AIRPORT TO GREET THEM ON THEIR RETURN AND THERE WAS LITTLE NEWSPAPER REACTION. IF WE NOW RE-OPENED THE ISSUE, IT WOULD INEVITABLY BE MISUNDERSTOOD AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GIVING WAY TO PRESSURE FROM LONDON, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE MERITS OF THE CASE. AS I AM SURE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND, SUCH A REACTION WOULD BE MOST UNDESIRABLE.
6. WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, SEEN FROM THE UK, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR
YOU TO GIVE THE SAT'S SUCH ENCOURAGEMENT AS YOU HAVE, IN ORDER TO FEND OFF CRITICS. UNFORTUNATELY, SEEN FROM HONG KONG, THE POSITION APPEARS VERY DIFFERENT. IN HONG KONG THIS PARTICULAR DISPUTE IS DEAD. TO RE-OPEN IT WOULD HAVE THE MOST SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS ON OTHER DISPUTES WHICH ARE STILL ALIVE. IT CANNOT BE TREATED IN ISOLATION AS YOU SUGGEST, BECAUSE THAT IT NOT HOW LOCAL UNION LEADERS WILL SEE IT.
7. WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE, THAT LORD GORONWY ROBERTS TOLD THE
DELEGATION (AS YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU SAW THEM IN HONG KONG
ON LORD GORONWY ROBERTS' BEHALF AND TRIED TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM A FRUITLESS JOURNEY) THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONE WHICH MUST BE DEALT WITH IN HONG KONG AND THAT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR
·3 CONFIDENTIAL
/HMG TO ISSUE