TNAG-0125-FCO40-161-Labour-force-working-conditions-1969 — Page 116

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Parliamentary Office

It is with some reluctance that I have accepted responsibility for Mr. Rankin's P.Q. (for oral reply on Monday, 23 June) concerning hours of work in the clothing industry in dependent territories. I have done so because of Mr. Rankin's known interest in Hong Kong and because only that Colony has a substantial "clothing industry". The draft answer and notes for supplementaries have been prepared in consultation with the Deputy Labour Adviser and other Dependent Territory departments; the background information in this submission on Colonial labour policy has been provided by the Deputy Labour Adviser.

2. Mr. Rankin's question is a follow-up to his Question of 9 June (handled by U.N. Department) about the ratification of I.L.O.

Conventions relating to hours of work. In addition we know that he

has always taken a special interest in the hours of work of women

and young persons in Hong Kong and has recently extended his interest to the hours of work in "service" industries.

Colonial Labour Policy

3. Since 1930, when the then Secretary of State for the Colonies (Lord Passfield) initiated the development of trade unions in the dependent territories, it has been a cardinal principle of labour

policy that a sound and responsible trade union movement is

indispensable to economic and political progress in those territories

and, in the post-war period and up to the present time, essential to progress towards the central purpose of British colonial policy, i.e. self-government.

4.

The development of collective bargaining as a means of

determining conditions of work, including hours of work, has been

fostered and the extent to which the policy has been effective may be

measured by reference to the wide area of application of those

International Labour Conventions concerned with freedom of

association and collective bargaining.

5. Convention No.84, the Right of Association (non-metropolitan territories), 1947, was fully applied by all but three territories

in 1950, the year of ratification by H.M.G., and, subsequently, by

all territories. The later and more advanced conventions,

/ No.87