117
53. The first general strike* in Hong Kong took place in 1922 following a dispute over seamen's rates of pay for which there was some economic justification. Most of the men's demands were granted and the Chinese Seamen's Union obtained a considerable amount of power and glory which it immediately set about to exploit. The second general strike took place in 1925. It had no economic justification whatsoever and was merely an attempt at revolution fomented by the General Labour Union and the Chinese Seamen's Union in sympathy with similar activities in Canton and Shanghai. This was the heyday of labour power in Canton and the boycott of Hong Kong continued well into 1926. The general strike was a complete failure and in 1927, while the powers of labour unions were being drastically curtailed in China, the General Labour Union of Hong Kong was proscribed under the Emergency Regulations, and the Chinese Seamen's Union was declared unlawful under the Societies Ordinance, 1920.
54. In 1927 the Illegal Strikes and Lockouts Ordinance, based on the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act, 1927, was passed. This Ordinance. Ordinance No. 10 of 1927, was the first enactment in Hong Kong dealing expressly with trade unions. Besides declaring that any strike is illegal if it has any object other than or in addition to the furtherance of a trade dispute within the trade or industry in which the strikers are engaged, and is a strike designed or calculated to coerce the Government, either directly or by inflicting hardship upon the com- munity or any substantial portion of the community, and making it an offence for any person employed in the service of the Crown under the Government of Hong Kong or employed in certain essential public services, to break an agreement of service if the probable consequence would be to hinder or prevent the discharge of the functions of Government, it contained a section forbidding the control of any Hong Kong union by any trade union or other organization outside the Colony, and the use of union funds for political purposes outside the Colony. There are no political purposes inside the Colony to which they might be applied. This Ordinance has never been invoked.
55. After the failure of the general strike and boycott and the proscription of the Seamen's Union and the General Labour Union conditions rapidly returned to normal and the surviving Hong Kong unions became little more than friendly societies concerned more with the provision of funeral expenses for the dead than the improvement of the conditions of the living.
ance
56. Twelve societies have been declared unlawful under the Societies Ordin- 1920 and three organizations proscribed under the Emergency Regulations.
List of societies declared unlawul under Societies Ordinance 1920.
Name.
Government Notification Number.
The Hong Kong and Wuchow Steamers Industrial Association.
The Hip Tsun Tsung Kung She (Hotel Boys and Cooks Guild).
The Kau Lung Ch'a Kui Kung Sheung Lun Hop Wui
(Kowloon Teahouses Union)
The Chung Wa Hoi Yuen Kung Ip Lun Hop Tsung Wui,
otherwise known as the Chinese Seamen's Union
The Chik Tso Kung Wui, otherwise known as the Chik Tso
Yin Kau Wui, otherwise known as the Knitters' Union
412 of 13.10.22
542 of 15.12.22
42 of 2. 2.23
315 of 27. 5.27
731 of 16.12.27
* A mechanics' strike involving about 9,000 workers occurred in 1920.