Mr Ling (HKGD)
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HKK 430
No
REFR 18/9
344)
1.
2.
Please refer to your minute of 3 September below.
BIA
Formal consultation appears to have taken place only within the Senior Civil Service Council and in general I stand by the observations made in paragraph 2 of my minute of 22 August. The Council, for instance, is unlikely to be representative of the grades concerned with shift duty, or dangerous or obnoxious work (paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Exco Memo). Neither can it speak authoritatively for Model Scale 1 employees (paragraph 32). To the Government's credit it must be said that the report was released to the staff associations in late July (paragraph 36) and that it is intended to inform the Staff Side (of the SCSC) of the Government's reply to the Commission before a press release is issued (paragraph 37): nevertheless for the reasons indicated in my earlier minute machinery is needed whereby staff at all levels can be consulted before decisions are taken which affect them and which could be the source of discontent and industrial action. I hope, therefore, the Commission will soon consider the matters falling within paragraph 1 (e) of its terms of reference.
3. I understand that Mr Peter Williams, the Commission's first Secretary-General, completed his six months' engage- ment in July and since then has served on month to month terms. I believe he returns to this country in mid-October and I wonder whether the Hong Kong Government has a replacement in mind. Mr Williams, by experience and temperament and because of the trust and respect he commands in Hong Kong, is particularly suitable for this post and I regret his impending departure. Is it too late for it to be suggested to the Hong Kong Government that there is a case for retaining Mr Williams?
11 September 1979
HRG Hurst Overseas Labour Adviser
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