No_4_December_1964 — Page 75

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THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S BUILDING INDUSTRY

By D.D. Waters, F.I.O.B., M.R.S.H., A.M.B.I.M. Post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies.

ENERALLY speaking there is lit- tle doubt that the building indus- try in Hong Kong has done a good job since the end of World War II. One wonders, however, if at the pre- sent time, there is not far too much complacency. In other parts of the world a vast technological change is transforming the construction indus- try, yet we in Hong Kong seem ob- livious to most of what is going on. We should, perhaps, face up to reality and appreciate the fact that unless we too “step into line" with the more advanced countries and have a com- plete "shake-up" in building in Hong Kong then our rate of progress will be severely retarded.

To give an example. In the past- ten years in Britain the average out- put of all work carried out has gone up by approximately 30%. If new work only is considered then the in- creased output is nearer 40%. Bri- tain fully realises that during the com- ing decade she has got to increase out- put by 55%, to keep pace with the rest of her economy, and only an extra 2% of manpower will be avail- able to achieve this increase. To carry out this staggering task the whole building industry is being ex- amined with a fine-toothed comb. Many really drastic changes are be- ing made. It is generally felt that in spite of the United Kingdom being a more developed country than Hong Kong nevertheless the problems of the two countries in the construction in- dustry are in many ways similar.

In July of this year, at the Building Contractors' Dinner, held in honor of Lo Pan (The Chinese Patron Saint of Builders) I was privileged to hear the address which was given by Mr. J.J. Robson M.I.C.E., A.M. Inst. Struct. E., Acting Director of Public Works. He implied, in his speech, that the building industry in the past, had tended to rely on cheap labour. In the future, he said other resources would have to be used. These would need to include a much greater use of mechanical equipment. Better cooperation be-

tween all members of the building team was another essential.

too much complacency."

These words of the D.P.W. can perhaps be carried a stage further and it would appear that the main tasks of the building industry, in its modern setting, in Hong Kong are broadly as follows:

more

1) Techniques: For healthy econo-

mic growth far

1apid changes are necessary than have taken place in the past. The Colony needs to fully appreci- ate and to utilise the improved technological methods that are being brought to bear in other parts of the world and, where necessary, to adopt these methods to local needs.

2) Materials' For centuries build- ing materials have changed but little. Now we have a universal problem of adaptation of the new materials, which are being pushed on to the market without having stood the test of time in ever increasing numbers. In this modern age we have a problem of avail- ability as well as the high costs of these materials.

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 19, NUMBER 4

3) Management & Labour: Ten years ago earth coolies could be engaged for H.K.$1.50 a day; at that time we had no labour problems. In Europe, as well as Hong Kong, the days of cheap labour in the industry are gone and we face a situation of rising costs as well as shortage of manpower. To combat this, management needs a complete- ly different approach. More at- tention needs to be paid to in- dustrial relations and sociology, as well as ergonomics.* Labour must be handled differently from the way it has been treated in the past. More attention needs to be given to fringe benefits and welfare and, like the famous Hawthorne Experiment in Ame- rica, efforts must be made to find out what makes a worker give of his best. *Ergonomics The study of man, in connection with his working conditions, in order to ensure that mental and physical demands of the work are within the capabilities of the average man.

If we really want "to get on with the job" then the first drastic change that suggests itself, here in the Colony is industrialised building. System building is rapidly gaining popularity all over Europe, especially in France Mr. Geoffery Rippon, Britain's Minis- ter of Public Building and Works, is doing his best to encourage it. The main theme of the 1963 Building Exhibition, held in London, was "System Building." An "Industrialised Building Systems & Components Ex- hibition" was held at the Crystal Palace in England between June 23rd & July 4th this year. This exhibition was extremely well attend- ed. It was also visited by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Building & Works as well as by the Minister of Housing & Local Govern- ment. With this encouragement it is reckoned that within a few years 50% of all building in England will be carried out using partial or full systems.

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