has naturally been considerable rivalry between these unions.
In July the Chairman and the Secretary of the I.C.F.T.U. delegation (Mr. Dalley and Mr. Krane) visited the Fung Keong factory at the suggestion of Fung Hai Chiu, the signatory of the letter from the Hong Kong and Kowloon T.U.C. They were accompanied by a Labour Officer who on occasions acted as interpreter. The management of the factory gave all facilities for the visit which was con- ducted in a completely friendly atmosphere. In one or two cases picoo workers were asked what they were earning. They gave figures of 30 or 90 cents a day, explaining that business was very poor and there was very little work to be divided amongst all of the workers. So far as is known the I.C.F.T.U. delegates did not take up the question of earnings with either the management or the workers.
Late in the evening of Tuesday the 8th August, the management announced the closure of the factory and posted notices to this effect outside the head office and the factory gates. This notice announced that all workers would be paid off on Saturday the 12th August and would receive one day's pay in lieu of notice. In making this announcement there is no doubt whatsoever that the Factory Management was acting under the direct orders of the Managing Director, transmitted from Kuala Lumpur. The local management had no say in the matter at all.
Inevitably the sudden closure caused considerable consternation among the workers and it appears that they regarded the closure as a lockout. An irmediate appeal to the Labour Department resulted in both sides meeting to discuss the situation but the workers' representatives particularly those representing the Hong Kong Rubber Shoe
Workers'
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