CO129-629-11 Manufacture of shirts 1-1-1950 - 30-11-1950 — Page 39

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Most of the workers are on piece rates and may come and go during working hours and also take casual leave with comparative freedom.

So far as women and children are concerned, the hours of employment are in the main governed by legislation based on international labour conventions. This legislation prohibits the employment of children under 14 and the employment of women or young persons at night or for more than a certain number of hours per day (8 for all women workers and 9 for young persons,

i.e. under 18 years of age). The Hong Kong Labour Department carry out many inspections of premises to see that these provisions are not contravened. In the nine months ended 30th June 1949, 7,751 inspections were carried out, 338 of these being at night. There were 45 prosecutions for illegal employment of women and four in respect of young persons. Convictions were recorded in all cases. A recent report stated however that the application of the law is made difficult by the fact that the Chinese generally see no reason why women should not work at night as they do in China and also by the fact that so much of the Colony's industry is carried on in small establishments using purely manual labour. Women workers generally have no objection to working at night, particularly if they are offered extra wages and the result is that most infringements of the law are acquiesed in by the workers, who are seldom willing to report offences or to give evidence. It might be noted that on one occasion an attempt was made by a trade union committee to include in an agreement a clause stipulating reduction in hours but this was completely defeated by the members themselves.

4.

Workmen's Compensation. A Workmens Compensation Bill is at present being considered by the Labour Advisory Board and it is hoped to introduce it into the Legislative Council before the end of the year.

5. Trades Union organisation. There are in Hong Kong 259 trades unions and associations, comprising 69 employers' associations, 186 labour unions and four mixed unions. Of these four workers' unions with a membership of 3,808 and two employers' associations with a membership of 623 are specifically concerned with the textile industry (cotton and silk) and three more organisations (one for wodlen textiles) have applied for registration. The Labour Unions have complete freedom to negotiate their conditions of work with their employers. Of these unions one of the most active in pursuance of improvement is the Hong Kong and Kowloon Female

Knitters Association, membership of which has been increased in

This scope and is now open to weavers and also to men workers. association has small medical welfare benefits, canteens and a day nursery; it does its best to promote education for members and children of members. In conjunction with other unions it is actively considering the extension of canteens and day nurseries and the setting up of hostels.

The policy in Hong Kong is and always has been to promote the use of voluntary negotiations and agreements as a means of

/ settling