XN000022-1978-11-29 — Page 4

YEDNESDAY, NOVELGER 29, 1978

MR. CATER ALSO NOTED THAT THE DAILY AVERAGE OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER WAS 254 A DAY AND FOR NOVEMBER SO FAR 329 A DAY.

+ IF THIS RATE CONTINUES, THEN, THE FIGURES I HAVE GIVEN EARLIER WILL BE EVEN HIGHER AND OF COURSE OUR SOCIAL SERVICES WILL BE UNDER EVEN GREATER PRESSURE, HE ADDED.

INDUSTRIAL ACTION - VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES

******

RECENT INDUSTRIAL ACTION BY A SMALL MINORITY OF CIVIL SERVANTS - APART FROM THE GO-SLOW BY SOME POSTAL OFFICERS IN LATE OCTOBER - HAS HAD VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON GOVERNMENT'S SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE HON. MARTIN ROWLANDS TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR. ROWLANDS SAID THIS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. PETER C. WONG.

+IN ONLY THREE DEPARTMENTS OTHER THAN THE POST OFFICE HAS INDUSTRIAL ACTION HAD ANY EFFECT AT ALL, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THESE WERE

*

THE GO SLOW SINCE OCTOBER 27, 1978, BY SOME 75 PER CENT OF POLICE INTERPRETERS HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF REFUSING TO CARRY OUT SOME OF THE IR DUTIES SUCH AS THE TRANSLATION OF CAUTION STATEMENTS=

+THIS HAS DELAYED SOME COURT CASES, MR. ROWLANDS ADDED.

* THE REFUSAL OF SOME ASSISTANT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS TO

APPROVE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE AGED 70-74 HAS CAUSED SOME DELAY"

MR. ROWLANDS SAID HE WAS GLAD TO NOTE THE ASSISTANT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS HAVE NOW RESUMED NORMAL WORKING.

THE DENTAL TECHNICIANS HAVE BEEN TAKING INDUSTRIAL ACTION SINCE NOVEMBER 13, AND THEIR OUTPUT OF DENTAL APPLIANCES HAS BEEN REDUCED BY ABOUT 75 PER CENT. URGENT WORK IS BEING DONE INSTEAD BY PRIVATE LABORATORIES.

FOR THE RECORD, HE SAID, HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, CONTRARY TO THE IMPRESSION GIVEN BY SOME OF THE NEWS MEDIA, THE GOVERNMENT NURSES HAVE NOT SO FAR RESORTED TO INDUSTRIAL ACTION.+

+THE IR PROTESTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THEIR OWN TIME AND HAVE NOT AFFECTED PATIENTS AT ALL. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE NURSES WILL CONTINUE TO DISPLAY THE IR TRADITIONAL SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THESE MATTERS, IN THE SURE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WILL HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY OF MAKING REPRESENTATIONS TO THE NEW STANDING REVIEW BODY WHICH I ANNOUNCED IN THIS COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 16,+ MR. ROWLANDS SAID.