XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 41

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

HE SAID THE MAIN ARGUMENTS FOR IMPORTING LABOUR WOULD RELIEVE THE TIGHT LABOUR SUPPLY, SLOW DOWN THE

COST INCREASES AND SQ RELIEVE

INCREASES, SLOW DOWN PRESSURES ON THE ECONOMY.

WERE THAT IT RATE OF WAGE

INFLATIONARY

PROGRAMME AND

IT WOULD ALSO REDUCE DELAYS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF WORK CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, HE SAID.

PEOPLE WOULD UPSET AND DEPRIVE FRUITS OF A BOOMING

TURNING TO REASONS AGAINST A LARGE SCALE IMPORTATION OF WITHOUT SPECIAL SKILLS, MR BRIDGE SAID THAT, FIRSTLY, IT THE FORCES OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN THE LABOUR MARKET THE LOCAL WORKFORCE OF THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE ECONOMY.

SAID.

"THIS WOULD BE EXTREMELY DAMAGING TO OUR LABOUR RELATIONS,

LI

HE

A SECOND REASON WAS THAT IMPORTATION OF UNSKILLED LABOUR REDUCE THE INCENTIVE FOR EMPLOYERS TO UPGRADE TECHNOLOGY, SKILLS, PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCT QUALITY, WHICH MADE THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF HONG KONG.

UP

WOULD MANAGEMENT THE KEY ΤΟ

TO

STANDARD

"IT MIGHT INCREASE OUR TOTAL PRODUCT, BUT WOULD BE UNLIKELY INCREASE OUR PRODUCT PER HEAD, WHICH IS WHAT MATTERS FOR OUR OF LIVING," HE SAID.

•

THIRDLY, IT WOULD BRING ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO BEAR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

SOCIAL

"THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING, MEDICAL AND TRANSPORT FACILITIES WOULD BE STRETCHED EVEN TIGHTER.

UPON OUR

SERVICES AND OUR

EXPOSE HONG LABOUR, WHICH

MR BRIDGE SAID A FOURTH REASON WAS THAT IT MIGHT KONG TO INTERNATIONAL ACCUSATIONS OF EXPLOITING CHEAP WOULD INCREASE PROTECTIONIST PRESSURES AGAINST OUR EXPORTS.

HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE TWO LINES OF ARGUMENTS FROM FAVOUR OF IMPORTING LABOUR.

THOSE

IN

SERIOUS THAT WHAT WAS LABOUR ON TOO

ONE SIDE SAID THAT THE SHORTAGE PROBLEM WAS SO DRASTIC ACTION MUST BE TAKEN, WHILE THE OTHER SAID THAT PROPOSED WAS ONLY A LIMITED SHORT-TERM IMPORTATION OF SMALL A SCALE TO HAVE THE DAMAGING RESULTS ALREADY MENTIONED.

SUBJECT

TO

OCCURRED

MR BRIDGE SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD LONG BEEN CYCLICAL VARIATIONS AND THE CURRENT LABOUR SHORTAGES HAD BEFORE.

"AT SUCH TIMES WE DO LOSE SOMETHING OF OUR COMPETI'IVE BUT THIS LOSS OF COMPETITIVENESS IS NOT OF A LONG-TERM NATURE.

EDGE,

"HISTORICALLY, IT