9
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1985
REPUBLIC OF
KOREA
2 198
917
+1 281
+140
FEDERAL REPUBLIC
OF GERMANY
963
722
241
+ 33
UNITED KINGDOM
813
526
287
+ 55
SWITZERLAND
685
665
20
3
FRANCE
663
508
155
+ 30
ITALY
532
261
271
+104
TRADE UNIONS PLAYING MORE POSITIVE ROLE
****
THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR NE IL HENDERSON SAID TODAY THERE WERE SIGNS THAT THE ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS IN HONG KONG SOCIETY WAS BEGINNING TO BE REGARDED IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT.
IN HIS OPENING SPEECH AT A THREE-DAY CONFERENCE ON TRADE UNIONS AND LABOUR ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG, MR HENDERSON SAID THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASING TENDENCY FOR UNIONS +TO ADOPT A MORE POSITIVE PUBLIC ROLE, TO EXPRESS THE IR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE WITH CONVICTION AND TO BE LISTENED TO WHEN THEY DO SO.+
AS EXAMPLES OF THIS TREND, HE REFERRED TO THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDACY OF A TRADE UNION OFFICIAL IN A DISTRICT BOARD ELECTION, THE INTEREST SHOWN BY UNIONS IN THE INTRODUCTION OF INDIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND THE INCLUSION OF UNIONISTS IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE.
+ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IS THE RECENT COMBINATION OF FOUR SEPARATE TRADE UNIONS AND A TRADE UNION FEDERATION IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY INTO A SINGLE TRADE UNION BY AMALGAMATION.
+THIS MAY BE AN INDICATION, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT NOTES WITH INTEREST, THAT THE TRADITIONAL PATTERN OF UNION ORGANISATION IN HONG KONG IS UNDERGOING CHANGE, AND THAT UNIONS ARE CONCLUDING THAT ANY LOSS OF AUTONOMY OF AN INDIVIDUAL TRADE UNION IN SUCH RATIONAL ISATIONS WILL BE MORE THAN COUNTERBALANCED BY THE ADVANTAGES OF A STRONG AND UNITED VOICE IN PURSUING THEIR AIMS,+ HE SAID.
THIS CHANGE
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