TNAG-0125-FCO40-161-Labour-force-working-conditions-1969 — Page 162

Nor

Your reference: HKK 5/3

Our reference: SHW 2194/1969

ENCLISED/

Dear Murray

нужат,

DEPARTMENT OF

EMPLOYMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY

Safety, Health and Welfare Division

R=29/4/69.

Baynards House, 1-13 Chepstow Place Westbourne Grove, LONDON W.2 Telephone: 01-229 3456, ext. 334

28th April 1969

In Neale's absence I am replying to your letter of 11th April enclosing an enquiry from Hong Kong about an "Economist" article which referred to the number of

The number stated women exempted from the hours restrictions in the Factories Act. (117,286) tallies with a table dated 31st December, 1967, on pages 44-45 of the report of the N.J.A.C. enquiry mentioned in the article; this report was published recently and is enclosed. The corresponding total for 31st March, 1969, is 119,386, and the industrial breakdown for the column relating to women on night shifts is now: 3,486; 68; 581; 1,040; 172; 14; 305; 175; 56; nil; 2,115; 14; 210; 2,764; total 11,000. The number of women in manufacturing industries in February 1969, is estimated as 2,721,000. Pages 36-42 of the report detail the restrictions and the conditions of exemption.

Section II of the report records disagreement as to whether restrictions on women's hours are still needed in present conditions; in the employers' view they are not. We also, at official level, take this view and have just sent the T.U.C.,

Not for Publication" basis, a C.B.I., and some other bodies, on a "In Confidence

We paper suggesting inter alia that the women's restrictions should be abolished. do not often nowadays turn down an application for an exemption order for women, even for night work; we should not normally object if the women themselves are willing and their safety, health and welfare are not jeopardised. This policy seems to us suited to the prevailing social and economic conditions - those in Hong Kong might well be different and consistent with the Government's commitment to the principle of equal pay and to dis cussions for its phased implementation.

-

I. R. Murray, Esq.,

Hong Kong Department,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London, S.W.1.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51

29 APR 1969

Інакор

Yours sincerely,

19

F.

Igoues

(1. Y. JONES)