CO129-590-13 Hong Kong dockyards- labour unrest 26-6-1941 - 11-7-1941 — Page 10

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T.D. & E. Co., of H.K. Ltd.

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LABOUR.

We reported on 18th April 1941 on the trouble we have had with Moulders. It would appear that outside influences are at work attempting to stir up trouble with Dockyard workers, and - while this has little effect on the older men, many of the

younger ones are ready to meet trouble half way and join in any excitement that is going.

On 23rd April our Inside Fitters stopped work in the after noon and refused to work overtime for three nights. They alleged that McKibbin had man handled one of their number, and demanded that McKibbin be removed from the Fitting Shop. The real reason for this demand, we believe, was that the previous weekend, while McKibbin was on duty, he found a petition being

circulated in the Fitting Shop demanding a fifty per cent increase in wages, and when the new high cost of living allowance was granted before their petition was presented they blamed McKibbin for having short circuited their fifty per cent increase no doubt basing their hopes on the ease with which the Moulders got an increase of forty per cent.

On 29th April the Outside Fitters on night shift walked out because Jessop, the new watchman, broke up a gambling school and one or two of them were pushed around in the resulting scuffle.

Both these incidents have been smoothed over, and we are very pleased with the attitude of the Chinese Engineers' Inside who insisted on the men resuming work. The writer had a meeting with the officials of the Institute who fortunately, at the present time, are older men of the No. One type, and we think these incidents and the resultant discussion have cleared the air as far as the Fitters are concerned. Chinese Engineers' Institute at the present time is the only responsible trade union in the shipbuilding and engineering trades, and apparently has some grip on its members. The officials of this Union are all working fitters who hold office for one year. There are no full-time paid officials.

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