insurance for Hongkong's future. The paper further stated, " Without dissatisfied workers the agitators would have been unable to start the trouble which has bothered Hongkong since early Hay. Hongkong's labour laws have a base which datos back to the 1920's and those wera archaic. However, a change of laws is not all that is nooded. What is urgently required is a change of attitude at the top in industry and commerce. Hongkong has many good years of productivity ahead and enlightened managenent can insure this if it will recognise the need of improving the lot of the Colony's willing labour force."
If big business in Hongkong can take heed to this warning, the time for action in this field is now, for the communists have lost the initiative by ignoring this obvious discontent. Unsuccessful political strikes of the past 2 months clearly showed the ocmmunists have lost a great deal of union support.
The Government's interest in the social and economic progress of Hongkong can be seen from the Governor's remarks, made prior to his departure for United Kingdom on 25th June, on the future plans for Hongkong. The three areas he mentioned were: Labour legislation, Social Security and local authority. Speculation on the matter has since been rampant and favourable. It is known that the Governor has been unhappy with private industries' failure to make any progress in labour relations and that some of his unofficial advisers have been a big stumbling block. The Governor is believed to be presently trying to seek a 'right' labour specialist from UK capable of adapting overseas solutions to Hongkong pecularities. That the Governor saw fit to comment on the need for social security in the wake of Hongkong's recent troubles is significant.
As regards the Administration studying cur present laws with a view to making changos as are considered desirable, the Hongkong Standard Elitorial strongly oalled for a radical overhaul of our labour laws and not just a mumber of more or less minor modifications as the Government implication secmed to suggest. The Editorial also voiced strong doubts as to whether such modifications (if intended by the local Administration) will satisfy the needs of the situation.
Considering the various significant public and industries' reactions (much to the disadvantage of the communists) to the recent lortist disturbances, and Government's plans for the social progress of Hongkong, the recent trouble may be viewed as a blessing in disguise for the free and democratic trade union movement in Hongkong. Furthermore, the hongkong Government, which has been almost passive during the past years in theiz approach to the development of trade unionism because of the conflicting rolitical division, has now made our organising task easier by dismissing and some cases deporting most of the hardcore communist trouble-makers. The employers, on the other hand, have bogun to realise the importance of building up good harmonious labour/management relations. With the tendency so much in favour of developing responsible trade unionism, the democratio trade union movement in Hongkong has only to re-double their efforts in organising and educating the working masses if we are to successfully build a stronger labour movement here.
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