Dockyard, where a Joint Consultative Committee has been set up representing the Dockyard authorities and the unions of Naval Dockyard workers. Steps are being taken to explain the principles of collective bargaining and the advantage of introducing consultative machinery wherever possible.
While the trade union movement generally is increasing, progress is particularly evident in those unions organising women workers and, by the middle of 1949, close on 10,000 women workers were organised. Since that date many more women workers have joined trade unions.
Labour Disputes
Until the end of the year there had been no disputes of any magnitude, with two exceptions, the strikes in the Mayar Silk Mill and the Hong Kong Match Factory. The outlook at the close of the year was, however, rather darker, since there was a concerted move amongst the employees of nearly all the big utility companies to obtain a "special" high cost of living allowance in addition to the Rehabilitation Allowance, which has been the principal means since the war of meeting the additional cost of living of artisans and manual workers.
A certain amount of trouble occurred during the year in the cotton spinning mills which had recently moved from Shanghai, bringing with them a considerable number of skilled operatives, to set up business in Hong Kong. The difficulty was usually the amount of bonus to be paid at Chinese New Year. In Hong Kong it is customary to pay a bonus equal to one month's wages, whereas in Shanghai the custom is apparently to pay considerably more. When, towards Chinese New Year, it became apparent that the managements intended to follow the current practice in Hong Kong, this was resisted by the Shanghai operatives, and one or two strikes occurred. In a number of other cases, strikes were avoided through the intervention of the Labour Department.
One of the two strikes previously referred to, that at the Mayar Silk Mill, lasted for a considerable time. The workers, under their potential chairman, a recent employee of the Mill, were in process of organising a trade union. The chairman absented himself for three months, ostensibly engaged on union matters, but without prior notice to the management. During this protracted period the management made repeated attempts to contact him and persuade him to return, but in vain. When he was finally contacted the management informed him that he was dismissed for being absent without leave. Representatives of the workers, together with the chairman, applied to the Labour Depart- ment seeking, primarily, the chairman's reinstatement. When this was not conceded they were persuaded by him not to
18
Page 30Page 31