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LABOUR CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG COTTON TEXTILE
1.
General
INDUSTRY.
3614
The textile industry of Hong Kong is a comparatively large industry employing 20,649 persons in 372 registered concerns. The industry produces all types of textiles and to a considerable extent carries out all processes-spinning, weaving and the making up of garments. A large proportion of the industry, except in the spinning section, consists of very small concerns. For example, in the knitting garment and hosiery sections, one half of the total number of concerns employ 20 workers or less and there are large numbers of places run more or less as family concerns making garments and hand woven material.
A considerable expansion has taken place recently in the industry particularly in the cotton spinning section. This latter now consists of 12 mills with 5971 workers; apart from the two pioneer mills, all are in buildings specially constructed for the purpose and compare favourably with cotton mills anywhere. The state of the weaving and knitting sections of the industry is not so good. High production costs and loss of markets through increased competition and the high cost of yarn have forced many small factories to close down recently. The larger and better organised concerns have not been so hard hit but they too are concerned about the future of the industry which undoubtedly needs overhauling and modernising. In the weaving section modernization has in fact begun; four concerns now have automatic looms and they are being installed in another. The general install- ation of automatic looms would however, in addition to improving the efficiency of the industry, also cause much unemployment as the result of closing down small concerns, particularly those where weavers using hand looms at present succeed in making a living. In the garment making section of the industry, shirts, sports shirts and underwear are made up from the woven or knitted material. This work is mainly carried on in independent factories though where the material is knitted, both knitting and garment making may be done in the same factory.
As a matter of general interest it may be noted that the Hong Kong general Chamber of Commerce has established a Committee which is to draw up a list of accredited producers in Hong Kong industries. Producers will only be included in this list when they signify their willingness to accept the following conditions:-
(a) to guarantee standards of quality established
by the Committee,
(b) to undertake to meet all claims established
as fair after arbitration,
(c) to conform
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