ILO to look into the matter and clarify the situation.
Mr Batchelor hoped that the PSI move would not be interpreted by Mr Rowlands as an attack on the Hong Kong Government; rather, it was directed against the UK Government for ratifying this particular Convention and applying it to Hong Kong when in fact, the latter was not ready to comply with provisions of the Convention. (A copy of PSI's letter to ILO was handed to Mr Rowlands at this juncture).
Mr Batchelor further indicated that the issue might be raised at the ILO Regional Conference being held in Manila.
5.
·
Mr Rowlands thanked Mr Batchelor for a copy of
his letter to ILO which he had seen for the first time.
He confirmed that the Hong Kong Government had not yet conferred formal· negotiating rights to staff unions as it was considered desirable to develop consultative arrangements first at the present stage of development. He believed that the consultative arrangements had worked very well and often achieved better and quicker results
than'what would otherwise have been achieved by going through rigid and formal negotiation procedures.
Standing Commission's Report No. 4
6.
Mr Rowlands briefed Mr Batchelor on the
recommendations in the Standing Commission's Report No. 4
on the consultative machinery in the Civil Service. He pointed out that the recommendations had been made after extensive consultation with staff and
when implemented, would bring about immediate improvements to the existing consultative arrangements at both the central and the departmental levels. Mr Batchelor said although he had not yet had time to study the Report in detail, he got the impression that the Report was a step in the right direction and he hoped that this would lead to further progress towards the setting up of proper negotiating procedures in Hong Kong.
/ Meeting