TNAG-0088-FCO40-124-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 83

amendments to the factories and industrial undertakings

legislation, which would enable statutory orders to be made for reducing working hours of women and young persons in any particular industrial undertaking or class of undertaking. The basis of such an approach would be that such orders should, in the first instance, be made in respect of industries already working an 8-hour day, thus bringing legislation into line with current practice. Thereafter, the extent to which an 8-hour day is worked in other industries should be

examined and, where it is the common but not the

universal practice to work an 8-hour day, orders should be made to bring all industrial undertakings in those industries in line with common practice.

I propose to keep a close eye on this and will

let you know as soon as an announcement about the legislation has been made locally in Hong Kong. Although I fear that I am testing your patience considerably, I very much hope that you will be able

to treat this information as confidential until the

announcement is made.

(JUDITH HART)