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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
forced upon factory proprietors the fullest possible economies in labour costs.
The competition for existence is aggravated by the continuing increase in population, now estimated to total 2,806,000. The natural increase by excess of births over deaths over the past four years has been: 1955-71,000; 1956-77,000; 1957-78,000; 1958-86,000. To this must be added a steady flow of illicit im- migration from China. It is now estimated that in the past ten years some one million persons from China have entered and made their homes in Hong Kong. As the emigration outlet for the local population is almost-non-existent, the pressure on jobs, housing and social services grows.
The Government's fundamental concern since 1949 has been to maintain conditions in which as many of its inhabitants as possible can make at least some kind of a living. The dilemma which it faces is whether to take steps deliberately to enforce rapid improvements in working conditions, which would almost certainly be followed by a large increase in unemployment and under- employment, or to strive towards the necessary improvements at a pace which will not bring any abrupt upset to the economy.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, the Labour Department has made constant efforts to improve working conditions. Frequent inspections of factories are carried out under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. In 1958, for example, the total of inspections of all kinds was 24,622. In cases where the minimum requirements of safety, health and welfare are lacking, renewal of registration of the factories is withheld until the necessary im- provements have been made. All lay-out plans for new factories or for alterations to existing factories are subject to approval by the Labour Department and no plans are approved until appropri- ate provision has been made for ablutions, dining/rest rooms, lighting, ventilation, etc. Although this does not solve the problem of unsatisfactory industrial premises in old tenement blocks in particular, it does ensure that there will be permanent improve- ment in working conditions as new factories are built and old ones altered. In accordance with the provisions of the many International Labour Conventions which are applied to Hong Kong, special attention is paid to the conditions of employment of
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