22
EMPLOYMENT
The wave of wage demands which in 1963 brought substantial increases to workers in transport and utilities, shipyards, construc- tion and some manufacturing industries abated somewhat from the beginning of this year. Among several claims settled during the year were those from the sizeable Hong Kong and Kowloon Teahouse Workers General Union which gave about 12,000 teahouse workers, rises ranging from $28 to $35 a month. A series of meetings between employers and workers had followed the original demands which were for $60 for the larger teahouses and $50 for smaller establishments. The final settlement was reached after three meetings under the auspices of the Industrial Relations Section of the Labour Department and the agreement between the parties was signed in the presence of a Labour Officer.
The range of daily wages for the manufacturing industry is now $8.6 to $26 for skilled workers, $5.3 to $14.5 for semi-skilled, and $4.8 to $9.5 for unskilled. Many employers provide their workers with free accommodation, subsidized meals or food allowances, good attendance bonuses and paid rest days as well as a Chinese New Year Bonus of one month's pay.
Towards the end of March, the Armed Services granted a wage increase of 10 per cent to 29 per cent, according to grades, to their industrial employees with retrospective effect to 1st July 1963. These increases were aimed at bringing the wage level of the locally engaged industrial staff of the Services departments into line with those of workers in the utility companies who received increases in 1963.
In May government officers! received an award of five per cent of salary retrospective to 1st July 1963. An allowance of two per cent of salary for each dependent child up to a maximum of three was also granted. This was an interim award and a Salaries Com- mission is to be appointed in 1965 to review salaries in the light of the Consumer Price Index which should be available then. Minor and unskilled government staff who had received increases of between 11 and 14 per cent in 1963 were not included in these interim awards but at the end of the year they were awarded further increases equivalent to 15 per cent of their existing wages.
The wages of some lower paid government staff are related to the Retail Price Index by means of a cost of living allowance based upon it and some private employers also make use of these