XN000022-1990-06-16 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1990

NO QUESTION OF KEEPING WAGES DOWN: ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY

THE GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME FOR IMPORTATION OF LABOUR IS A VERY CAREFULLY DESIGNED SCHEME AND THERE IS NO QUESTION WHATSOEVER OF IMPORTING PEOPLE TO KEEP WAGES DOWN, THE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY, PIERS JACOBS, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SIR

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT VICTORIA PARK, SIR PIERS SAID: "THAT IS NOT THE IDEA AT ALL. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE LABOUR FORCE ΤΟ HANDLE THE EXPANSION OF OUR ECONOMY.

"WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIMITED NUMBERS OF PEOPLE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WE ACTUALLY NEED FOR THE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ECONOMY, HE SAID.

ASKED TO COMMENT ON SUGGESTIONS THAT LABOUR UNIONS WERE AGAINST THE SCHEME, SIR PIERS SAID: "WE MUST TALK TO THE UNIONS. THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER HAS DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. I AM SURE THAT THE MATTER CAN BE RESOLVED.

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THE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY SAID IT WAS A GREAT PITY THAT IF THE UNIONS WERE TO BOYCOTT MEETINGS OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ADDING: "I HOPE THEY WON'T BOYCOTT MEETINGS BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE CAN'T TALK TO THEM.

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'WHAT

WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER IS A GOOD SCHEME FOR THE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG. IT WILL NOT HAVE AN ADVERSE AFFECT ON WAGES, HE SAID.

TH

ASKED WHETHER CHINA HAD PROPOSED JOINING THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT, SIR PIERS SAID NOT AS YET AND ADDED THAT A LOT OF INFORMATION HAD BEEN HANDED TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

"THE GENERAL FEELING WE GET IS THAT THEY DO SUPPORT THE PROJECT. IT'S A VERY COMPLEX PROJECT AND NATURALLY THEY NEED A LITTLE TIME TO CONSIDER IT IN DETAIL. BUT I HOPE TO TALK TO THEM AGAIN IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE," HE SAID.

GOVERNOR AND CJ ATTEND QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, AND THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR TI LIANG YANG, THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING JOINED THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN SAI KUNG AND KWAI TSING PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE REGIONAL COUNCIL TO CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY.

THE GOVERNOR AND LADY WILSON ATTENDED THE PROGRAMME AT SAI KUNG TANG SHIU KIN SPORTS GROUND WHERE THEY JOINED CHILDREN TAKING PART IN POTTED SPORTS AND GAMES.

/THEY WERE