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

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The so-called Steamship Builders and Repairers Association or Riveters Guild are taking this opportunity to spread thei wings. Their headquarters are in Shaukiwan and the leading light is a paid secretary, Tang, a professional Guild leader from Canton. On 17th April this Guild sent a petition to the Labour Officer asking for an increase of sixty per cent for men earning less than forty cents per day, forty per cent for those earning less than $1.00 per day and twenty per cent for those with less than $2.00 per day. The Labour Officer interviewed representatives of the Guild, and informed them that Dockyard had already granted an increased high cost of living allowance of twenty per cent on total earnings to all workmen. This apparently satisfied the Guild and notices were posted informing all workmen that the Riveters Guild had arranged this increased H.C.L. allowance with the Labour Officer, and if more workmen would join the Guild they would get a further increase for them in the near future. We believe the Guild's claim of responsibility for the increase in H.C.1. allowance did not greatly impress the workmen, as our official notice announcing the increased H.C.L. allowance had been posted two days earlier.

On 22nd April this Guild sent a further petition to the Labour Officer for a thirtyfive per cent increase over original rates instead of the 60%,40%, amd 20% graded increase demanded earlier. We had a meeting with our Ironwork contractors on 3rd May, and went into the question of this Guild. Contractors estimated that out of 1400 ironworkers in Dockyard 400 are members of the Guild. They were all of the opinion that the Guild had little control over its members and that there was considerable irregularity in payments of monthly subscriptions. When accused of paying workmen less than 40 cents a day, contractors stoutly denied this. They said apprentices were paid between 40 and 45 cents a day, and casual coolies were paid 50 cents per day plus H.C.L. allowance. We may say that the Labour Officer asked the Guild to give him a list of underpaid men, and this list has not so far been presented.

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