TNAG-0089-FCO40-125-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 22

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the Commissioner of Labour power to regulate working hours and so enable further progress to be made in this field.

What has already been said will also serve as a partial answer to many of the ten points in the eighth paragraph of your earlier letter, but the fifth, sixth and seventh of these call for a more detailed rebuttal.

There continues to be some misapprehension over the dispute at the factory of the ast Asia Textiles Limited at the end of 1966. Following the advice of the Commissioner of Labour concerning ten dismissed workers, representatives of the management and these workers came to a negotiated agreement on 2nd February, 1967, whereby all outstanding problems were disposed of by mutual agreement. This agreement was made as a result of the intervention of a Conciliation Officer of the Labour Department and the terms of the settlement are clearly recorded in the Labour Department's files. The agreement was freely negotiated by both parties concerned. Because both parties wished that its terms should not be disclosed it is likely that you are not fully aware of them. The Commissioner of Labour is not in a position to disclose them but I am assured that, as they took into consideration the advice given by the Commissioner of Labour regarding the ten dismissed workers, the question of the Commissioner of Labour taking action "to restore his prestige" just does not arise.

As to the first of your points, the textile industry covers a range of separate industries and it is difficult to generalize when conditions vary considerably. For example, in the cotton spinning industry 100% of all women and young persons employed work a 48-hour week. In the cotton weaving industry, the figure is over 70%. On the other hand, in the garments industry, only about 4% work 8 hours, 1% between 8 and 10 hours, and about 95% work 10 hours. It is theoretically possible for an adult male worker to work on 359 days a year but, in practice, this does not happen. The system of good attendance bonuses, whatever criticism may be made of it, allows a worker to take time off each month for up to four days according to varying practices without loss of normal earnings. Hours of work have been progressively declining over recent years and are continuing to decline. For example the number of women working an eight-hour day increased from 32,884 to 36,390 over the past year. No information is available about men but it is reliably believed that the number is steadily increasing. The number of young persons in industry represents a very small proportion of the working force. Out of a total industrial working force of 432,000 at the end of March 1967, there were only 1,100 young persons working under the age of 16 and about 4,750 between the ages of 16 and 17. This represents less than 1% of the total working force. Information regarding the number of convictions and fines imposed for offences in respect of women and young persons was given in a written answer to a Parliamentary question put by Mr. Ernest Thornton on the 12th May 1967. The extent to which the penalties are imposed is, of course, a matter for the judiciary.

You have also suggested that the Labour Department should use its good offices to persuade responsible unions to concentrate upon industrial matters. This has always been its policy. During the past 14 years, the department has organized many courses on trade union accounts, administration and leadership and on labour legislation. These have been attended by about 2,400 members and officers of trade unions. It has issued numerous pamphlets on

/uspects