FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1989
LARGE-SCALE IMPORT OF UNSKILLED LABOUR WILL NOT BE ALLOWED: CS
NOT
THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (FRIDAY) STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT CONSIDERING ANY CHANGE IN THE TO ALLOW LARGE-SCALE IMPORTATION OF UNSKILLED LABOUR.
POLICY
"WE HAVE GREAT RESERVATIONS ABOUT A MASSIVE IMPORTATION OF UNSKILLED LABOUR, SIR DAVID SAID.
T
OF
"IT WOULD IN THE LONG TERM AFFECT ADVERSELY THE DEVELOPMENT OUR ECONOMY. IT WOULD ALSO, OR COULD ALSO, HAVE AN IMPACT UPON OUR WORKFORCE, ON OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMMES, AND SO ON.
"WE HAVE TO THEREFORE BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL BEFORE WE CONSIDER SUCH MAJOR MOVE AND WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT CONSIDERING IT AT THIS MOMENT."
THE CHIEF SECRETARY WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CENTRAL.
NOTING THAT THE JOINT ASSOCIATIONS WORKING GROUP HAD PRESENTED IN ITS REPORT A COGENT CASE FOR THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR FROM
A GOVERNMENT WE HAD EMPLOYERS POINT OF VIEW, SIR DAVID SAID AS
ΤΟ TAKE A SOMEWHAT BROADER VIEW THAN WAS PRESENTED THERE.
HE SAID: "TO TAKE JUST ONE WAGE WHICH IS A PROBLEM FOR THE INVOLVES AN INCREASE IN REAL WAGES
EXAMPLE, THE INCREASE IN LABOUR EMPLOYERS ON THE ONE HAND ALSO FOR THE WORKERS ON THE OTHER.
"THEREFORE IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAMPER WITH THE ECONOMY, THEN CLEARLY ONE HAS TO BE VERY CAREFUL
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE
WORKFORCE AS A WHOLE.
ABOUT
MAJOR SCALE, AS HAS BEEN
"IF WE WERE TO IMPORT LABOUR ON A SUGGESTED, THAT WOULD HAVE AN EFFECT UPON THE WAGE RATES IN HONG KONG. IT WOULD SLOW DOWN THE INCREASE IN WAGE RATE. EFFECT UPON THE GROWTH IN REAL WAGES OF SOMETHING WE AS A GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE DUE ATTENTION TO."
HONG
THAT
HAS IN TURN,
AN KONG PEOPLE. THAT IS
SIR DAVID SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD
ΤΟ DISCUSSING SUCH MATTERS WITH THIS GROUP ON THEIR PROPOSALS AND ALSO WITH REPRESENTATIVES THE LABOUR UNIONS TOO.
"WE HAVE TO KEEP A VERY CLEAR BALANCE," HE NOTED.
OF
HAD JUST STARTED WORK ON DETAILED PEOPLE ΤΟ BE BROUGHT IN UNDER
HE SAID A WORKING GROUP ARRANGEMENTS TO ALLOW MORE SKILLED EXISTING POLICY.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WISH TO ENSURE CAME HERE UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENT WOULD FIT IN POLICY.
THAT ANYBODY WHO WITH THE EXISTING
/THAT IS .........