TNAG-0232-FCO40-268-Legislation-relating-to-registration-of-trade-unions-in-Hong-1970 — Page 55

CONFIDENTIAL

Brief for Mr. Anthony Royle's Meeting with Mr. James Johnson, MP..

about the Hong Kong Trade Union Registration (Amendment) Bill.

Mr. James Johnson, M.P. will be seeing the Parliamentary

Under Secretary at 10.30 a.m. on 3 November to discuss the draft

Hong Kong Trade Union Registration (Amendment) Bill.

Background

2. Mr. John Rear, Senior Lecturer in Law in the University

of Hong Kong, and Mr. J.W. England, Deputy Director of the

Department of Extra-Mural Studies in the University of Hong

Kong have made detailed criticisms of the draft Bill.

Mr. James Johnson, M.P. suggested that they should try to see

Mr. Royle while he was in Hong Kong but this did not prove

possible. The present meeting has been arranged at Mr. Johnson's

request.

Consultation with British T.U.C.

3.

At the meeting chaired by Lord Lothian on 30 October 1970

of the Overseas Labour Consultative Committee (on which the

T.U.C. and C.B.I. are represented), an undertaking was given

that there will be detailed consultation with the T.U.C. on

Hong Kong's draft Bill. This undertaking was given when T.U.C.

representatives indicated their misgivings about certain

provisions of the Bill, particularly those relating to fines

and picketing.

40 Mr. Royle has already seen representatives of the National

Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers in this country and the

International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation who felt

CONFIDENTIAL