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124.
What they really want is power without responsibility and they have
gone some way in achieving this objective. Each would like to be a kind of Trade Union Congress cum General Federation of Trade Unions deciding the policy to be followed by all unions. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council with its K. M. T. back- ground and its declining influence due to the eclipse of Chiang Kai Shok is inclined to be more helpful. It is prepared to facilitate the nomination of workers' representatives to the Labour Advisory Board and the delegations sent to International Labour Organisation Con- ferences, but is never invited to co-operate as a Federation It has achieved additional status as a result of some recognition by the International Confederation of Free Trade Uni öns.
125.
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, on the other hand, with its connection with the Chinese Communist Party and the F. T.U. is not prepared to participate in any activities of this kind and persistently boycotts meetings held for the purpose of electing workers' representative for any purpose and encourages its affiliated unions to follow the same course.
126.
The methods of both Federations are either those of the K. M.T. or those of the Communists and appear to be almost equally undesirable. At the moment the Federation with its proselytizing Communist zeal is the more dangerous. Both organisations spend a lot of time angling for popularity and I can see no single useful purpose which either serves to the workers or the Colony. The W. F. T.U. failed to remain a sound democratic organisation for very similar reasons,
127.
I am of the opinion that the law should be amended to provide legal status for federations of trade unions exclusively on an occupational or industrial basis, and that the amount of contribution from a union to a registered federation should be limited by ṛule. It should certainly not exceed 5% of the sub- scription incomes of its affiliated unions. Contributions to un- registered federations should continue to be prohibited. Without some reformation of this kind the development of collective bargain- ing on a basis of mutual respect will be considerably retarded
128.
I appreciate fully that it is rather late to take this action now but as time goes on it will be increasingly difficult to achieve this desirable reformation
129.
The necessity for a federation must arise from the desire of registered trade unions with similar aims and problems to consult together for the common good. It should start from the bottom and should not be imposed from above as has cleraly been the case with the existing federations
130.
Collective bargaining, as a method of settling terms and conditions of employment in any industry, requires that there be strong representation of both sides of the industry concerned and the very existence of these present federations is dividing repre- sentation and hindering the building up of sound organisations with a common aim on the workers' side.
131.
The following letter from Cecilia. F. Shen, Adviser to the Women's Welfare Committee of the Hong Kong & Kowloon General Labour Union seems to indicate that the undesirability of political influences in the trade union movement is appreciated in some trade union quarters:
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