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HONG KONG: DISPUTE BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT SHORTHAND AND AUDIO TYPISTS ASSOCIATION (SATA)
1.
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Over the past six months the shorthand typists have been waging a campaign to gain support in this country for their case in their dispute with the Hong Kong Government. ground note on the dispute is attached. Mrs Cheung, the Chairman of SATA wrote to, among others, Mr Frank Hooley MP and Mr James Johnston MP, who took up their case with HMG. Mr Hooley suggested that an independent arbitrator might be appointed; Lord Goronwy-Roberts instructed Mr Stewart, who visited Hong Kong last October, to discuss this possibility. with the Hong Kong Government.
2. The Hong Kong Government are, however, reluctant to appoint an arbitrator at this stage lest, by doing so, they prejudice a new procedure for handling labour disputes within the public service which is about to be proposed to staff side representatives. They are also influenced by their belief that a majority of the staff involved have already accepted the proposals which are the cause of the dispute. Lord Goronwy- Roberts wrote to Mr Hooley and Mr Johnston explaining this- position on 22 December.
3. Mrs Cheung, accompanied by the Vice Chairman of SATA, Miss So, is now in this country to present their case. They have so far enlisted the support of four trade unions in the public sector, NUPE, ASTMS, CPSA and NALGO, officials in the International Departments of the TUC and Labour Party and a group of MPs (list attached) as well as having had a mention in the 'Financial Times' and the promise of an interview in next week's 'Labour Weekly'.
4. On 16 January Mrs Cheung and Miss So called on Mr Hurst, the Overseas Labour Adviser. It became clear that the two ladies accepted that independent arbitration would be the ideal solution but was not a practical solution at the present. Nevertheless, they may well be prepared to advise their members to accept the
/Hong Kong