XN000022-1973-09-20 — Page 8

+

7

-

Thursday, September 20, 1973

"anagement must learn to try and understand the workers' point

of view. The opposite is equally true

stand management's point of view.

workers have to learn to under-

"But none of this understanding is likely to come about if

management does not take positive and continuing steps in the field of

joint consultation."

Mr. Price stressed that joint consultation machinery was not

-

the same as negotiating machinery. "I suspect that because employees

and some managements often do not understand the difference between

these two terms, they consider that joint consultation is not really

giving them anything," he said.

Wage Rates

"It should be clearly established that joint consultative committees

are not a forum in which workers can negotiate wage rates. However, in

practice, particularly in the context of Hong Kong, it may be impossible to

divorce entirely some discussion of wage rates from other subjects."

Mr. Price added there was little point in trying to set up joint

consultative machinery if industrial unrest was brewing. The best time to

do so, he said, was when all was quiet.

He urged employers to read the Labour Relations Service's booklet

on joint consultation, and to contact the Service for advice in setting

up consultative machinery tailor-made to an individual firm's needs,

Note to Editors:

Copies of Mr. Price's speech are boxed for

collection.

18