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282.
It should, I think, be mentioned that in the United Kingdom the membership of Whitley Joint Councils is appointed annually and consists of the Official Side appointed by the Department or authority concerned and the Staff Side appointed by the Association or Trade Unions whose membership is drawn fully or in part from the various establishments of the Department or Organisation concerned. The Chairman at every meeting of the Council is a member of the Official Side and the Vice-chairman a member of the Staff Side; onc Secretary is likewise appointed from each side of the Council.
283. Decisions are arrived at by agreement between the two sides of the Council; voting is rarely employed but where it is, a majority on both sides of the Council is required. 284.
Although the functions of Whitley Councils are not merely advisory it has been established that the members of the Official Side possess no power or authority except that which is delugated to them by Ministers.
'285. If Whitley machinery is to be soundly established and I
think some attempt should be made to establish it in Hong Kong, it must be developed by the employees of Government and their officers (as employers) working together and sharing equally in the responsibility for:
(a) framing the machinery to meet their requirements,
&nd
(b) working that machinery with efficiency and goou
will.
286.
The development. of Trade Unions and similar bodies is the declared policy of the Government. If employee organisa- tions are to undertake the functions and responsibilities proper to such bodies, it is necessary to establish organised representation of employers and to provide some formal system of negotiating machinery for the use of both parties.
287. To devise any general scheme based on the practice in the United Kingdom and then impose it would, however, be both improper and probably useless.
288. The Government is the largest single employer in Hong Kong and must take the lead in establishing sound and helpful employer-employee relationships.
289. It is not easy for the Department of Labour to develop Joint Consultation in Industry unless the Government sets an example and demonstrates the efficiency of such machinery.
290, I accordingly recommend the setting up of Joint whitley Machinery in one section of the Government service anu for its gradual extension as circumstances permit.
291. In the meantime I suggest that consideration be given to the establishment of an Interim Joint Council to provide & recognised means of consultation between the Government and its employees pending the development of more permanent machinery.
292. To this Council all major difficulties arising in the Government service as between the Government as employers and their servants, can be referred.