TNAG-0089-FCO40-125-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 144

Bimplex

-ONFIDENTIAL

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

TO HONG KONG (Sir R. Black)

SSB.117/51/01

Bent 15th August, 1958. 11.15 hours,

24

with 186

PRIORITY

CONFIDENTIAL

No. 718

Your telegram No.630.

Conditions of Employment.

In view of time needed to complete and enact Employment Bill, I agree that restrictions on hours of work should be confined initially to women and young persons in industrial employment and that effect should be given to them by regulations under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. It remains important however to press on quickly with wider measures in the Bill itself.

2.

As regards detalled proposals in your paragraph 2 for limiting hours first reaction here was to question their adequacy, but after hearing Miss Ogilvie I am prepared to approve them on two understandings:-

(1)

(2)

that these measures are clearly understood to be and publicly presented as, a first stage in a determined effort to raise minimum standards of industrial employment to which the Hong KORS Government will now pledge itself; and

that the following additional measures are included in the new regulations:-

Done (a) provision for paid sick leave and publis

No Gution as

yet.

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الورد

holidays;

(b)

maternity benefits;

(o)

weekly reat day.

Details of (a) and (b) were discussed with Miss Ogilvie in context of Employment Bill but case for immediate applications, 1o only to women and young persons in industrial employment, Le strong. As regards (e) I note your paragraph 3 but I am convinced that this must be praeeded with to buttress the proposed limitation on hours of work.

3.

Since Parliament has risen we are not now under pressure to make public statement and see no advantage in volunteering one here until there is action to be announced. But I am sure that it would be in the best intereste of Hong Kong for you to announce as early as pessible either that the new regulations had been made or that they were about to be made

CONFIDENTIAL

/indicating