46
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Labour Disputes and Stoppages. There were 10 strikes and 3 lockouts during 1956, resulting in the loss of 30,052 man-days, about 10% lower than the loss of man-days in 1955 and well below the post-war average figure of 135,155.
The principal causes of strikes were demands for better terms of service and dismissals due to redundancy or dis- cipline. Only one of the strikes was successful. The others failed, the employees in some cases losing their jobs when new recruits were engaged. One of the lockouts was un- successful, the employer finally accepting the workers' terms. Details of some of the more important disputes follow: The Barrel-Making Trade. The growing use of metal canisters instead of wooden barrels has led over a period of years to a fall in production in this trade; there were 22 establishments in 1940 compared with 9 now. The workers, numbering 123, in the Hong Kong and Kowloon Barrel Workers' Union sought a collective agreement from the employers to cover wages, holidays, apprenticeship, over- time and outwork, and the replacement of workmen on leave from a pool of those out of employment. After a number of meetings in the Labour Department, an acceptable com- promise was reached on all points but the last. In June the union called a strike. Certain packers (e.g. of ginger) negotiated with some of the workers for work to be carried out on a piece-rate basis, while most of the employers recruited and trained new workers. The unemployed then started 'co-operatives' of their own and made barrels in competition with the employers. It became clear that it was a strike in name only, and the small number of genuine unemployed soon found other casual work. Towards the end of the summer new union officials were elected, and these decided to bring their dispute to an end by not pressing for any of the original demands, provided the employers would take back those workers who had had to seek employ- ment outside the trade. The employers refused to do even