TNAG-0127-FCO40-163-Illegal-strikes-and-lockouts-ordinance-1969 — Page 102

2600027 C.S. 20A

Acting

From the Governor, Hong Kong

SAVING DESPATCH

SAVINGRAM

CONFIDENTIAL

Commonwealth

To the Secretary of State for the Colonies

No.

1657

Repeated to:-

-2 DEC 1966

No.

Repeated to:—

Date............ 28th November, 1968.....

My Reference... Cit 29/3231/49.

No.

Your Reference..

FED 848/401/02.

aat /e/ii

1)

FC 848/401/02 &ati

1466

DAWAI

5/30

Illegal Strikes and Lock-outs Ordinance

(Chapter 61)

In a letter dated 13th September, 1966, Mr. Carter suggested

that Hong Kong's legislation on illegal strikes and lock-outs be examined with a view to bring it into line with the Model Ordinance commended by the Secretary of State in 1960, and later, in a letter dated 8th February, X 10 1968 when referring to the same subject in connection with the Legislative

Programme of the Labour Department, he expressed interest in knowing how it was proposed to modify the Ordinance. Also Sir Arthur Galsworthy referred specifically to the proposed legislation in a letter to the Governor dated 15th March, 1968.

(160) HWA 18/6

PX-0

y/e/;

2.

14

As you will be aware from Hansard of Legislative Council of 20th December, 1967, the Commissioner of Labour, when moving a resolution to extend the Ordinance for a further year, i.e. up to 31st December, 1968, said that it was the intention of Government to prepare permanent legislation in 1968 to replace the present Ordinance which would balance on the one hand the protection of the public interest from strikes and lock-outs of a coercive nature in services where a stoppage of work would have an immediate and serious effect upon the life and health of the community and, on the other hand, the protection of the interests of those involved in genuine trade disputes in these services. He also referred to the proposals in a speech in Legislative Council on 14th February, 1968 on the Labour Legislation programme.

3.

Action to finalise the drafting of the Bill has taken longer than was anticipated mainly due to the difficulties over the Employment Bill but I am now ale to forward herewith a draft on which I should be grateful for your comments. It is intended that the Commissioner of Labour should now consult the Labour Advisory Board, the UMELCO group on Labour matters and the four major employers' associations in order to save time, one way or another, by sounding local opinion about the proposed amendments. It will, of course, be necessary to extend the present Ordinance a little longer and the Commisioner of Labour will move a resolution in Legislative Council on 18th December extending it for a further six months.

鸞

RECEIVER IN ARCHIVES No ? 00AX 1968

likk

2x

27

CONFIDENTIAL