TNAG-0096-FCO40-132-Hong-Kong-Trade-Unions-1968 — Page 19

THE LABOUR SITUATION IN HONG KONG

Brief for the Meeting of Lord Shepherd with

a Joint Delegation of Trade Union Organisations

on Tuesday, 9th April, 1968.

11.00

The request for an interview derives largely from the initiative

(OF ITEWF)

of Mr. Greenhalgh, who indicated some months ago that such an approach

has

Critic

He been

He has ten a strong a

could be expected from the Trades Union Congress. critical of the long hours women and young persons would work in Hong Kong, industry, cord Composition of Joint Delegation

LIKELY

The joint delegation is to comprise -

(i) The International Textile and

Garment Workers Federation

(ii) The International Transport

Workers Federation

(iii) Public Services International

(iv) The International Trade

national Secretariat

bosetén on that subset.

The General Secretary

(it. Greenhalgh).

*.C.

General Secretary, .C. BLYTH & Mr. H. LEWS. The General Secretary

(M. BARAZEFTI)

Mr. E. Thornton, General Secretary of the Rochdale Weavers and Winders Association

(v) The International Confederation

of Free Trades Union

-

The Assistant General Secretary.

(vi) The Trades Union Congress

Trade Unions in Hong Kong

Mr. M. Paladino, and Mr. A.K. Mukherjee

- A representative still to he

nonimated.

3. With the exception of a small neutral and independent segment,

workers' unions are organised into two political groups the Federation

of Trade Unions (communist and Peking controlled) and the Trades Union

Council (K.M.T. dominated). / Although the number of unions sympathetic to

Although

the T.U.C. far exceeds those adhering to the F.T.U., both the declared and

estimated paid up membership figures of the T.U.C. are in fact substantially

lower. The T.U.C. is affiliated to the International Confederation of

have been Free Trade Unions and two international trade secreta

retariats active in

Hong Kong, i.e. the International Transport Workers Federation (I.T.F.)

and the International Textile and Garment Workers Federation (I.T.G.W.F.).

4.

Lenly occasionally do the FTV & TVC and their constituency unions

function as effective organisations and then never in concert since

/co-operation