TNAG-0088-FCO40-124-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 152

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

LAST REF

BER

REF

CONFIDENTIAL

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

JAN 1987

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D. 23rd January 1967

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PRIORITY

CONFIDENTIAL No.97

12)

Your telegram No.1 32.

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63 24 JAit./o/

Parliamentary Question by Mr. James Johnson.

HWB18/6

It is impossible to make a comparison between labour legislation in Hong Kong and that in all countries in South East Asia and to give a simple reply to the question. Labour legislation covers a wide field of activities. The full scope of labour legislation in all these countries is not known and it is neither possible to assess it nor to comment generally on whether or not labour legislation in Hong Kong rises above or falls below that in all these countries.

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Comparison of labour legislation in particular fields. in the various countries offers a better opportunity to comment. The question refers particularly to conditions of employment for women and juveniles and some comparative information is available on this subject although considerable difficulty has been experienced in collecting up-to-date data. The subject has several facets and cannot easily be dealt with generally. On the basis of information available at present the following observations are made in respect of women in industrial

employment:

خم

(a)

(1)

Maximum daily period of employment: 12 hours in Hong Kong. In Indonesia and Malaysia women may work between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. In South Vietnam between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. In the Philippines between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. in Taiwan, 12 hours. In Burma, 10 hours.

Maximum hours worked in a day and a week: ten and 60 hours in Hong Kong. Eight or nine and 48 hours in nearly all other countries.

c) Compulsory rest periods: half an hour after

five hours continuous work in Hong Kong. The same or comparable rest periods in most other countries.

(a) Overtime: one hour a day and 100 hours a year

in Hong Kong. Information is scanty about other countries. 46 hours in a month in Taiwan. hours a week in Thailand.

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/(e)

CONFIDENTIAL