GR 278 PRIORITY
EN CCLAIR
FCO 311435Z JAN
UNCLASSIFIED
18
HKK 430/1
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 85 OF 31 JANUARY
No
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HONG KONG: EQUAL PAY
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF REPLY TO LORD BROCKWAY'S P Q IN HOUSE OF
LORDS ON 30 JANUARY.
LORD BROCKWAY: MY LORDS, I BEG LEAVE TO ASK THE FIRST QUESTION WHICH
STANDS IN MY NAME ON THE ORDER PAPER:-
TO ASK HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WHETHER THEY WILL RECOMMEND TO THE
GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG PAYMENT TO THE 420 SHORTHAND-AUDIOTYPISTS
EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON A SCALE EQUIVALENT TO THE INCREASES
GIVEN TO OTHER FEMALE STAFF UNDER THE EQUAL PAY SCHEME.
LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS: MY LORDS, I AM TAKING STEPS TO GET
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVENMENT AND THE SHORTHAND AND
AUDIO TYPISTS' ASSOCIATION REOPENED.
LORD BROCKWAY: MY LORDS, THOUGH I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER,
MAY I ASK MY NOBLE FRIEND WHETHER IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT IN 1971
THERE WAS A VERY COMMENDABLE EQUAL PAY DECISION BETWEEN MEN AND
WOMEN IN HONG KONG BUT THAT, BECAUSE THESE TYPISTS DO NOT HAVE ONE
MAN IN THEIR GRADE, THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EQUAL.
PAY PROPOSAL ? I HOPE THESE NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS: MY LORDS, MY NOBLE FRIEND SUMS UP THE
POSITION VERY FAIRLY, AND I JOIN WITH HIM IN A STRONG HOPE THAT AT
LEAST AN INTERIM ARRANGEMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE AS A RESULT OF THE
NEW NEGOTIATIONS PENDING THE INSTITUTION OF A REGULAR STATUTORY
PROVISION FOR SETTLING DISPUTES SUCH AS THIS.
BARONESS WARD OF NORTH TYNESIDE: MY LORDS, HOW LONG DOES THE
MINISTER THINK IT WILL BE BEFORE THIS MATTER IS SATISFACTORILY
SETTLED ?
LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS: MY LORDS, I TRUST THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH I HOPE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL INSTITUTE AT ONCE, MAY LEAD
IMMEDIATELY TO A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS. AS FOR THE LONG-TERM
PROVISION FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES ACROSS THE BOARD THROUGHOUT
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THAT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE LONGER, BUT IT WILL BE
WELL WORTH WAITING FOR BECAUSE HONG KONG NEEDS IT.
OWEN
FILES HK&GD
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MR CORAZZI MR POSNETT MR MURRAY
MR RUSHFORD COPIES TO:
(LEGAL ADVISER )
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
6 GRAFTON ST W1