Original on HWB 18/5.
SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 20th February, 1967 R. 20th
99
10.20 hrs.
HWB13/4.
3.
Addressed to Commonwealth Office Repeated to Peking No. 83
11
?? POLAD Singapore No. 35
(S. of S. please pass to both)
Royal Interocean Lines dispute.
The dispute between the left-wing Hong Kong seamen's Union and the Dutch owned Royal Interocean Lines about an incident on the S.S. "STRAAT MALAKKA" (see paragraph 22 of the L.I.C. monthly intelligence report for December, 1966) has now taken a more serious turn.
20
Since the beginning of the year the union has pressed demands on the company; including the dismissal of the captain of the ship, his return to Hong Kong to apologise, the issue of a letter of apology for his conduct by the company and its general release to the press. They have also asked for stand-by pay for the seamen from the ship until the settlement of the dispute. The management paid the men until Chinese New Year (9th February) and offered them alternative employment (which the union members have not accepted) in other ships; and also produced draft letters of explanation. When these were rejected as unacceptable to the union the management refused to budge from their position.
3. On 30th January a deputation of crew members demanded to see the company's Personnel Manager and became aggressive when he refused. Police help was called for but the men left without any need for police intervention. The left-wing press then attacked the management for calling in the police and union representatives called at police headquarters to complain of their involvement.
4. On 14th February at a large meeting presided over by the Chairman of the union who had returned from a visit to Canton two days previously) it was agreed:
(a)
that no seamen should serve on board R.I.L. ships until the dispute was settled;
SECRET
/(b)
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