arisen in the Colony owing to extensive illegal mining, to facilitate the grant of temporary mining licences and to oversee the health and working conditions in the mining industry.
Labour Advisory Board
The Board, under the chairmanship of the Commissioner of Labour, consists of four representatives each of employers and workers, two in each group being elected and two nominated by the Governor. An observer on behalf of the Services, at present the Chief of Staff, Headquarters, British Forces, also attends.
In the course of the year the Board examined the report of its sub-committee on the draft Workmen's Compensation Ordinance and forwarded its views to Government. The Board also considered the question of unemployment and the possibility of providing some form of relief. Meetings were held with Mr. Houghton and consideration was also given to a scheme put forward by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council which, however, was deemed to be overambitious and impracticable in existing circumstances.
Legislation
The statutory powers referred to above are derived from the Factories and Workshops Ordinance and the Trade Unions and Trade Disputes Ordinance, while the mines sub-department is responsible in the first instance for the enforcement of the Control of Minerals Regulations, which were enacted in October under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance. Claims for arrears of wages or wages in lieu of notice, which cannot be settled by negotiation between the parties concerned, are referred to the magistrates' courts for decision under the Employers and Servants Ordinance. The Illegal Strikes and Lockouts Ordinance was kept in force for a further twelve months from the end of 1950.
Legislation is designed not only to meet local requirements, but also to give effect as far as practicable to international labour conventions on such matters as minimum age of employment at sea and in industry, seamen's articles of agreement, medical examination of young persons before employment at sea, night work by women and young persons, underground work for women and minimum-wage-fixing machinery. Reports are sent to the International Labour Organization every year on the application of those conventions which have been ratified by the United Kingdom and applied to the Colony.
Labour Organization
At the beginning of the year 280 unions were on the register. The 12 new registrations during the year were almost balanced by
27