TNAG-0125-FCO40-161-Labour-force-working-conditions-1969 — Page 54

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Mr. H. H. Stewart ?

Reference..

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Hong Kong Department Mar 317.

I.C.F.T.U. and Hong Kong

4.2

The Report on Activities, 1965-1969, prepared

for the Ninth World Congress (2nd-8th July, 1969) of

the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions

contains criticisms of labour standards in Hong Kong.

It states, for example, that the Communists have

always found agitation among the workers easy

"because of the deplorable labour conditions and

excessively long hours of work, particularly for

women and young people".

2.

You may be interested to know that according

to the official Congress Press Summary, Mr. John

Greenhalgh, General Secretary of the International

Textile and Garment Workers' Federation, intervened

in the debate to "correct certain impressions given

in the Report on Activities". He said that there

had been two notable advances in conditions, "largely

as the result of the work of his International":

first the change from a 12-hour day, seven days a

week, to a system of three eight-hour shifts daily;

for the trend to 8-home and second the reduction of the working week for

shifts

can be bened.

women and young workers from 60 to 48 hours. (The

latter statement, I think, somewhat anticipates the

count, but it was not, apparently, challenged;

there does not seem to have been any representation

from Hong Kong.)

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51

5 AUG 1969

никого

سنا

(S. A. Priddle) Deputy 0.L.A. 29 July, 1969