TNAG-0089-FCO40-125-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 48

Fédération Internationale des Travailleurs des Industries

du Textile et de l'Habillement

PRESIDENT:

JOHN E. NEWTON

VICE-PRESIDENT :

K. BUSCHMANN

Internationale Textil- und Bekleidungrarbeiter-Vereinigung

Internationella Textil- och Beklädnadsarbetarefederationen

INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE AND

GARMENT WORKERS' FEDERATION 120 BAKER STREET, LONDON, W.1

GENERAL SECRETARY: J. GREENHALGH to whom all communications should be addressed

Our Efforts to get the Hours of Work for Women and Young Persons in Hongkong reduced from 60 to 48 hours per week.

TELEPISOME:

WEL31CK 1745

TELEGRAM ADDRESS:

WORKINTEX, London, W.1 June 9th 1967.

Preamble:

In 1958, Mr. Ernest Thornton, M.P., visited Hongkong, Japan and several Asian countries, on behalf of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the above International Federation, to explore the possibilities of creating an Asian Regional Organisation of Textile Workers Unions. Upon his return, he drew the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that in Hongkong, women and young persons were working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, with only four days holidays per year,

This led to the Colonial Office sending some-one to the colony, and as a result, new legislation was introduced, limiting the hours of work of women and young persons to 10 per day and 60 per week, with a permitted overtime of 100 hours per

year.

When the new legislation was being introduced, Mr. Sedgwick, then the Commissioner of Labour said:

"The new regulations will not bring hours of work for women and

young persons in Hongkong completely into line with internationally accepted standards and, as I have already suggested, positive advances will have to be made in due course.

The regulations

now before Honourable Members nevertheless represent a considerable step forward (even if it is only the first step) in Hongkong's labour legislation".

The new legislation came into force on January 1st 1959, and since then nothing has been done to bring about further improvements, for the women and young persons in industrial employment in Hongkong, may still be required to work a 10- hours day, six days a week, plus overtime. Not only is it possible, but it is a fact that is not disputed, that the thousands of women and young persons in the garment industry are regularly employed on these excessive hours.

Even with these hours, some employers disregard the regulations and are taken to court, but as they are fined a ridiculously small amount (the fines averaged £4-11-3d during the first 6 months of 1966) the employers have a complete and utter disrespect of the regulations, because they find it profitable to violate the law.