13
2.
is approximately one hundred and sixty. The Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry
Company uses a different route for its main traffic and the distance is
approximately two miles. The biggest vessels are double-ended vehicular
ferry-boats with Diesel engines which carry approximately twenty vehicles,
and are licensed for 800 passengers in addition. The next size of boat is
the same as that of the Star Ferry, namely 160 tons, carrying 500 passengers.
Auxiliary services are run by smaller boats to places within the harbour
limits, while the smallest type of vessel (150 passengers) goes to villages
on the south side of the Island, such as Stanley and Aberdeen,
thus four classes of vessels used by this Company, which employs about six
hundred persons.
5.
There are
The discussions were started on the basis of equating, as far as
possible, the wages of the lower grade employees to those currently prevail-
ing in other utility companies, where new wage scales had been fixed by
negotiation earlier in the year. By the first half of June, the men's
representatives and the Assistant Labour Officer had agreed tentatively
on a scale of wages which might possibly have been acceptable to the companies.
The men inadvisedly published these figures in the vernacular press and the
Companies, fearing that this was an attempt to present them with a fait
No further
accompli, were deterred from considering the matter further.
action was taken by either party to the dispute until the 20th July when,
prompted probably by the Seamen's Union, the employees of the Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry Company presented a 72-hour ultimatum (unfortunately including
a Saturday and Sunday) to their employers. The Company, during this
interval, attempted to negotiate with the men's representatives, but the men
themselves ceased work on the 23rd July whilst the negotiations were still
in progress. The employees of the Star Ferry Company went on strike three
days later, on the 26th July. After a temporary total cessation of the ferry services, the Naval Authorities rendered most valuable assistance by supplying naval personnel, who were able to maintain a reduced service with the vessels belonging to the Star Ferry Company. The Hong Kong & Yaumati
Ferry service remained completely out of action.
Cross-harbour traffic was