EMPLOYMENT
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Under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, a Hong Kong Chinese or a Commonwealth citizen able to claim British nationality by birth and who wishes to go to Britain to work must, if he has not found a prospective employer there, apply to the Ministry of Labour in Britain for a voucher before entry can be considered. The Labour Department undertakes to forward such applications. During the year 50 applications were received and 13 vouchers were issued. At the request of the Ministry of Labour 724 vouchers for which prospective employers had made direct applications on behalf of workers whom they had engaged were distributed.
To meet the apparent shortage of labour, the Labour Department set up an Employment Information Service in August. Initially the service was limited to providing enquirers with names and addresses of factories which had reported vacancies in the enquirer's trade, but in November the service was extended so that it more nearly resembled a placement service. 1,399 people have made use of the service. Industrial vacancy lists were also supplied to 14 voluntary agencies which are members of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and are engaged in placement work. An interesting private endeavour to overcome shortage of labour has been started by two cotton spinning concerns which have each set up as part of the factory organization secondary schools which workers can attend free of charge after working hours.
A committee appointed by the Governor to examine the question of seamen's recruitment has recommended that a Seamen's Recruit- ing Office should be established as a part of the Marine Department. Direct engagement through company crew departments would continue to be permitted under careful control. Government has accepted the recommendations in principal and it is hoped that the Seamen's Recruiting Office will come into operation during 1965.
WAGES AND CONDITIONS OF WORK
Most semi-skilled and unskilled workers in manufacturing industry are on daily rates of pay although piece rates are also paid. While there is no discrimination against women in the rates of pay for piece work they are generally paid less than men when engaged on a time basis. Wages may be calculated on an hourly, daily or monthly basis and are customarily paid weekly or fort- nightly.
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