-7
42
43.
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The Kuomintang is said to have failed because whatever that Government promised in the name of Chiang Kai-shek was betrayed in practice and there is little doubt that Communist China has not failed to profit by this lesson..
440
It has been said that tuc only period during which there was a spontaneous development of independent and democratic unions in Hong Kong was in 1940/41, while there were genuine grievances in that wages had not kept pace with the rising cost of living; this seemed to unite the workers. It brought home to the man in the street the advantages of organisation and reliance upon his own efforts through his union.
45.
Then came the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese who had no use whatever for any form of trade unionism although they are said to have made some use of the Triad Societies for espionage and gestapo work. is a result the sound embryo trade unions ceased to exist.
46.
On the reoccupation there was an almost complete absence of trade union organisation but as trade unions started to form not only did Kuomintang intermediaries try and influence and gain control but there was a counter movement sponsored by the Communist Party. This battle for the control of the local trade unions has continued ever since and the progress made by either party has been affected by what has been taking place in China and their behaviour has varied accordingly. The main reason for this is that the workers are largely illiterate and easily persuaded to offer lip service with the majority rather than risk any possible repercussions which may result from a less diplomatic attitude.
$47.
It would therefore seem that sound trade unions can thrive and operate successfully in Hong Kong if divorced from external political influences. If the trade unions can be made to realise that their job is to build up sound, well led organis- ations to carry out the practical day to day trade union work und to secure practical results for the individual members of their unions and avoid the conflicting maze of Chinese politics, there is a dis- tinct hope of the development of a healthy movement. Certainly little progress in this direction seems possible until a substantial number of non-political organisations come into being as a result of the dissatisfaction of the workers with the existing Federations which are more concerned, with foreign political ideologies than the welfare of the workers they are supposed to represent and whose very existence has divided representation in those industries where solidarity is so essential. There are hopeful sings that this may occur and the move- ment would be accelerated if the influence of the so-called Federations should decline and their place be taken by proper industrial federations with a common aim and "purpose.
48.
There is little doubt that it is the intention of both the so-called Federations to try and weld all the unions into a general labour union for political reasons and purposes which have their origin elsewhere and have little, if any, appeal to the genuine worker and none at all to the normal Hong Kong resident who regards the Colony as his home and its Government as the object of his prin- cipal loyalty.
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49.
The employers in Hong Kong, particularly the larger employers, have no mean record in the matter of measures taken to achieve a general improvement in working conditions and the maintenance of wage levels which afford a reasonable standard of living appreciably in advance of those obtaining in adjoining territories. They are clearly begining