CO129-629-11 Manufacture of shirts 1-1-1950 - 30-11-1950 — Page 58

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(a); Food food supplied as part of earnings is good and plenti-

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ful and, in many cases, better than a worker would think of buying for himself.

(ii) Men in many weaving and knitting concerns are on a per- manent basis and even if business is slack and there is no work, food and lodging still continue to be provided though possibly no cash wage.

(iii) where food supplied but paid for by workers (.e.g most

spinning mills) of good quality and plentiful and the charge does not cover the whole cost balance borne by the mill.

Section 3. Hours of work.

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(a) Tempo not slower in spinning, increased earnings, (very

few really unskilled jobs mostly semi-skilled (see Section 1 (f)(i)).

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(b) 12 hours a day common in weaving

11 and 10-11

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spinning

knitting and garment-making. (c) Hours may seem long but in weaving, knitting and garment-

Tea is usually on making discipline comparatively easy. tap, and workers break off to have a drink or to have a chat. Most of the workers are on piece-rates and stops affect chiefly their own earnings, so except where there is any particular urgency (e.g. completion of order for shipment), no objection made to their temporary stoppages of work.

Section 4. Trade Unions.

(a) Number at end of December 1949 - 259 (69 Employers' Associa-

tions, 186 Labour Unions and 4 Mixed Unions). (b) Four workers' unions with a membership of 3,808, and two

employers' associations with a membership of 623 specifi- cally concerned with textiles (cotton and silk) and three more organisations (one for woollen textiles) have applied for registration. (c) of the registered Trade Unions, one of the most active in

pursuance of improvement is the Hong Kong & Kowloon Female Knitters' Association. (The English translation of the name is misleading as a great many of their members are weavers. At first, exclusively female, it has now applied to be allowed to include male members,.

This Association has small medical and welfare bene- fits, canteens and a day nursery; does its best to promote

Now, in education for members and children of members. conjunction with female members of other unions, is actively considering extension of canteens and day nurseries, and setting up of hostels.

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