En Clair
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
265B
Telno. 763
UNCLASSIFIED
25 June 1967
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 763 of 25 June Repeated for information to Hong Kong, Washington and POLAD Singapore
'Peoples Daily' of 25 June has only one article on Hong Kong da telined Hong Kong 24 June. Article is entitled "The Great Strike of 50,000 Workers has Dealt a Powerful Counter Attack to British Imperialism". Following are main points.
2. A big joint strike began on 24 June involving 50,000 shipping, ferry, bus, taxi, tram, public utility, dockyard and textile workers. The strikers joined forces with 10,000 workers in British run enterprises already on strike. Ocean going shipping workers have
gone on strike and have brought cargo loading and unloading in Hong Kong to a halt. Vast majority of workers in the two ma jor warehouses came out together with steam tug workers, cargo con- trollers, stevedores, and other transport workers. "They have dealt a heavy blow at Hong Kong trade abroad, one of the pillars of its economy.
3. In addition 85 per cent of China Motor Bus Company and 90 per cent of Kowloon Bus Company and most of tram workers went on strike. Riot notices were sent to intimidate bus and tramworkers into continuing to work but workers defied them. The police also prohibited Yaumati ferry night shift workers from leaving on early morning of 24 June, tried to force them to work and attempted to coerce morning shift workers into going to work.
4. Over 80-90 per cent of Hong Kong Electricity Company, China Light and Power Company and Hong Kong Telephone Company workers went on strike. In order to safeguard the inhabitants electricity supplies the workers adopted the principle of 'strike but do not cut off electricity' strikes were conducted in these departments where it was possible. Article also describes other strikes in the dock- yards and textile mills.
5.
Article ends by saying that the workers held numerous meetings at which pledges were made, including determination to "settle accounts with the British imperialists for their towering crimes of occupying Hong Kong, swallowing Kowloon and seizing the new territories" and to avenge the three 'martyrs'.
Mr. Hopson
FO/CO/WH DISTRIBUTION
Far Eastern Dept.
SSSSS
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES, No. 63)
21 JULMO
HWAlln
Sent 2300Z/25 June 1967 Read 07182/26 June 1967
PAR
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