CONFIDENTIAL
11.8
AN A word please
Reference
HK/7
HKK 430||
63
PA........
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
$78 14 AUG 1980
M Jess MIB
Thane Ward dertient that I will attend
CIVIL SERVICE DISPUTES
1..8
INDEX
DECK OFFICER
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
1. A contact in the Public Services International told me this morning that a delegation representing the Hong Kong Dispensers and Public Health Inspectors were received by the PSI's General Secretary, Carl Francken, yesterday afternoon. Mr Luk was the chief spokesman.
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2. The delegation expressed little confidence in the outcome of the appeal which is now pending. They claimed that the judge at the first hearing would have found in their favour had not the Attorney General said "the government are quite prepared to use the Queen's Prerogative if the case goes against us". The judge then found in the government's favour and as a "reward" he has now been promoted to be a Judge of Appeal. Furthermore, according to Mr Luk, the case on appeal will also be heard by the same judge.
3. Mr Luk claimed that his union, the Hong Kong General Workers Union, now represents 25,000 government workers and referred to their frustration in not gaining representation on the Senior Civil Servants Council. He went on to refer to that Council as being purely a talking shop without any negotiationg rights.
4. Mr Luk described his visit to the International Labour Organisation in Geneva and said his delegation had been received with sympathy. Some discussion apparently took place on the procedures whereby the ILO investigate infringements of trade union rights, and I gather that PSI is considering invoking these procedures on behalf of Mr Luk and his colleagues. (Though the Hong Kong General Workers Union, the Health Inspectors Association, is)
5. My contact said another possibility is that a resolution condemning the action and attitudes of the Hong Kong Government in these disputes will be tabled at the forthcoming Asian Regional Conference of the PSI which will take place in Singapore in October.
6. I took the opportunity to advise that the PSI should investigate Mr Luk's statements carefully before lending him their active support. I invited the PSI to look carefully at the procedures which may be adopted in the UK when civil servants take industrial action similar to that taken in Hong Kong. I thought the PSI would find UK civil servants liable to action similar to that taken by the Hong Kong Government.
7.
It is possible that the PSI may ask to see me to follow up these matters. Would you or someone from your department like to be present ?
HR G Hurst
8 August 1980
Overseas Labour Adviser
CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
* SS 8/78