TNAG-0088-FCO40-124-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 16

GORY FOR E

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# 12 90$30.

CONFIDENTIAL

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Cypher

D. 24th April, 1967. R. 24th

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

No. 495.

1501

Your telegram No. 760.

1029Z

REC ARCHIVES N

1967

441118/6

Hours of work for women and young persons.

Your paragraph 1. It is policy to put as many

papers as possible to the Labour Advisory Board in both English and Chinese since the four workers representatives have minimal knowledge of English. As on principle we do not attempt detailed translation of legislation into Chinese. It is intended to put the matter to the Board in the form of a memorandum in both languages explaining the proposals and the consequential legislation in layman's terms. Drafting of the proposed amending regulations has nevertheless been put in hand and should be complete by early May.

2.

Your paragraph 2. Two influential bodies in particular, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, participated in the working party but are not directly represented on the Labour Advisory Board. If effective progress is to be made along the lines proposed it is very desirable to maintain close liaison with them. The obligation to do so arises from an undertaking to members of Executive Council who advised it.

3. Your paragraph 3. Although the statutory hours of work may not have changed since 1959, a substantial number of industrial undertakings has in practice progressively gone over to an eight hour working day for women and young persons and others have reduced below ten. This change has been voluntary and is therefore effective over the area covered.

4.

Your paragraph 4.

Although members no doubt fully appreciate the future implications of the proposed first step they are not yet committed to the subsequent steps which will require their endorsement at the appropriate time.

5.

Your paragraph 5. Nevertheless this suspicion of outside motives is very real and influences not only employers but also labour. Briefly, the former are concerned that in conditions of an actual continuing shortage of industrial labour a reduction in hours would lead to under-utilisation of equipment and a fall in total output (when hours were previously cut in 1959 there was a large reservoir of unemployed): and that

/their

REF.

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