My Gammava.
Aur Godden.
The "GUARDIAN" article referred to in
81
Mr. Thornton's letter below is flagged 'T' on the file attached.
2.
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Mr. Thornton's suggestion, that the root of the present disturbances in Hong Kong lies in the unduly long hours of workers in the Colony, is echoed in Mr. Rankin's letter to the Glasgow Herald, flagged 'I'. We must, I suppose, expect a campaign in the House on these lines when Parliament resumes. To my mind the suggestion is not borne out by the facts of the troubles. The demands made by the left-wing unions so far amount only to a statement that the Hong Kong Government should keep out of labour disputes even when violence or disorders occur. If their campaign has any "real" basis other than the hysteria engendered by China's cultural revolution it lies in their resentment of the increasing militancy, and possibly influence, of the right-wing unions, and the growing support which it must appear to them that the right-wing
It is unions have received recently in Westminster. significant, I think, that the present labour troubles began with a dispute between a left-wing union and the right-wing Cotton Industry Workers General Union which is the chosen instrument of the International Textile and Garment workers' Federation in its efforts to strengthen the union movement in Hong Kong. Since this initial dispute issues have become muddled by the left-wing union movement's choice of the Macao precedent for its campaign. This choice seems to me, however, to have been inevitable because of the left-wing's refusal on ideological grounds to have any contact with the Hong Kong Government.
3.
As regards the p.s. to Mr. Thornton's letter, it is true that a system of double or treble wages exists in many factories for employees who work on their free day. We have no information as to how wide spread the practice is but the suggestion that men generally work a 7-day week throughout the year is certainly an exaggeration. In any case it would hardly be possible to introduce legislation which would effectively control the hours worked by men. "Moon-lighting" is not an uncommon practice in Europe or the United States amongst lower-paid workers. Hong Kong, where the income per head of population is so much lower (in the region of £150 a year) the incentive to work long hours is so much greater.
4.
I attach a draft reply to Mr. Thornton.
The Sofs signature
оджавите
(D.H. Reed)
་ཀ
In
for
23rd May, 1967.
KIV. reply
to 68.
H631
Please bring registration up to date
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possible.
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as
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ANG
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