TNAG-0089-FCO40-125-Social-welfare-working-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 52

T

Fédération Internationale des Travailleurs des Industries

du Textile et de l'Habillement

PRESIDENT:

JOHN E. NEWTON

VICE-PRESIDENT:

K. BUSCHMANN

International Textil- und Bekleidungsarbeiter-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

- 5 -

TELEPHONE :

WELCK 1745

TELEGRAM ADDRESS:

WORKINTEX, London, W.1

practice. To give an example, in the textile industry, it is the common practice to work an 8-hours day, but if any employer is making the women and young persons in his employ work a 10-hours day, then in such cases, the new legislation will have the effect of reducing the working hours. As a matter of fact, according to a recent reply in the House of Commons, there are no women working more than 8 hours a day in the textile industry. The next stage is an addition to the information given to me in Mrs. Judith Hart's letter of April 7th 1967, and it should be noted that there is not even a suggestion that hours of work of women should be reduced to 48 per week. The new legislation in fact, provides for the hours of work of women and young persons to be reduced from 10 to between 10 and 8 a day. Thus any employer could (and probably would) reduce the hours of work of the women and young persons in his employ by as little as 5 minutes per day, and still comply with this so-called improved legislation.

The whole point of this, is that it should be realised that the Government of Hongkong has no intention of reducing the hours of work of women and young persons in this new legislation, to the level obtaining in Asian countries generally. The Minister, Mrs. Hart, had not written to me since April 26th 1967, and so I can only assume that she still agrees that the new legislation should not apply to all the women and young persons in industrial employment in Hongkong.

I wrote a letter to r. Herbert Bowden, Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs, on May 17th 1967, but beyond an acknowledgement, have had no reply. Whilst I had hoped that it might be possible to achieve the desired result without having to enlist the aid of organisations outside the United Kingdom, such as the I.L.O.and our affiliates in 34 different countries of the Free World, etc., it is now my intention to explore every avenue, for I am convinced that neither the Government: of the United Kingdon nor that in Hongkong are particularly interested in the matter.

Finally, one piece of pleasing information. Our representative in Hongkong informs me that the recent riots were the work of a very small minority of persons who encouraged violence from behind the crowds. There is also evidence that the boys (many were hardly in their teens) were paid HK % 1/- (1/3d) for each stone thrown at the police. The police generally earned the respect and gratitude of the people.

Signed

J. GREENHAIGH

General Secretary.