78
5.
6.
7.
8.
with previous knowledge and first hand experience of labour problems and the workings of the department as well as of sufficient seniority to carry weight with all sections of the community.
For these reasons I strongly recommend the establishment of a post of Deputy Commissioner of Labour to be filled by a senior and experienced Administrative Officer who is prepared to make the Labour Department his career. The post need not necessarily be made a first class post carrying acting pay on the lines the posts of P.A.0.3., P.M.G. and 8.1.., but it should, I submit be quite clear that the holder of the post would be eligible for promotion to Grade I of the service while contiming in the labour department and would normally not for the Commissioner when the latter was away from work.
I agree with Miss Hinder that there should be a Chinese Labour Officer but I recommend that me "hasten slowly" in this matter because of the importance of securing the right type of man for the job. I also like her suggestion that this Officer might be a suitable man to specialise to some extent in Trade Union relations but such specialization and any course of study in this country would be of greater value if superimposed on practical experience of local conditions and the details of this suggestion may well be left to be worked out at leisure after a candidate has been selected and tried.
There should, however, be at least two Labour Officers, and in view of the present shortage of administrative officers I recommend early selection of an officer (European) for permanent service in the Labour Department, Good knowledge of Cantonese colloquial and experience in dealing with the Chinese are essential, or rather, very desirable, and the appointee must be capable of shouldering the responsibility and carrying out work normally done by administrative officers. If it is in order for me to do so, I should like to recommend that consideration be given to Major Chauvin who has the necessary qualifications and who shaped very well in this post under the Military Administration,
If long Long's industrial production is going to revive, and I believe it will, it will be necessary to pay particular attention to the needs of female labour. I believe that there is ample scope for the employment of a Lady Assistant who would be in direct control of the female inspectorate and would specialize on the problems connected with women workers. I admit that much of her work would overlap with that of the welfare Department and it is possible that the job could be done quite as well under the aegis of that department, provided it was clearly realised that the problems of female industrial workers formed a special section of welfare work and required special attention. whole, however, I am inclined to believe that the
On the
post
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.