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The contractors were asked if it would not be possible to employ a smaller number but of higher paid coolies. The reply to this was that coolies who might be paid higher can- not be found in the Colony. We feel that labour trouble will not develop here through underpaid coolies. If coolies in the Dockyard now get on the average about 86 cents per day including H.C.L. and a little overtime, this must be considerably above the market price for coolies. Contractors expressed willingness to discuss any points with the Guild representatives.
One of the points raised by the Guild with the Labour Officer was the question of Workmen's Compensation. He had our permission to inform the Guild that we have a scheme covering this. Labour Officer strongly recommends that this scheme be published, but we are not in agreement with this: we are now paying compensation in accordance with the scheme, and in a very short time workmen will realise that in case of accident the firm will pay compensation.
At 8 o'clock on Thursday morning, 8th May, the Riveters walked out. The reason given was that one sub- contractor riveter did not receive sufficient hammers: actually this man had seven hammers and only five squads of riveters. The strike was obviously well arranged as all riveters, both on new construction and repair work, stopped work almost simultaneously
At a meeting of representatives of the riveters and the Riveters Guild on Friday morning, 9th May, the men could not put forward a case, and all we could get out of the Guild representatives was that they had advised the men not to stop work and that there were a number of very bad men in the Guild. The delegates were told to inform the men that unless they returned to work at 1 o'clock that afternoon the matter would be placed in the hands of the Hong Kong Police. At 1 o'clock one or two of the riveter sub-contractors returned to the Yard, but we were informed that the riveters were stopped at the gate by three men who advised them not to return to work. Three men, who claimed to be the real repre- sentatives of the Guild, came to the office at 2 o'clock and informed us that the men would return to work in the morning
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