TNAG-0233-FCO40-269-Legislation-relating-to-registration-of-trade-unions-in-Hong-1970 — Page 78

2.

(b)

Kong to establish temporary trade unions. In practice, conciliation officers of the Labour Department rarely have difficulty in identifying representatives of unorganized workers, and there is a suspicion that managements are more willing to negotiate with representatives of unorganized workers than with officials of registered trade unions. It has therefore been decided to delete all reference to temporary trade unions.

The Labour Advisory Board unanimously disliked the clause which adds conviction of an offence involving violence or public order as grounds for disbarring a person from becoming an officer of a trade union for a period which was previously for life, but which it is now proposed should be for only five years. While the workers' representatives objected in principle, the employers' representatives expressed concern over the lack of precision in the meaning of the offences. Similar comments have been received from other quarters. It has been decided to meet these comments to the extent of deleting all reference to offences against public order, and limiting disbarment to cases where a person has been convicted of an offence involving fraud, dishonesty, extortion, membership of a triad society, or violence. It has also been decided to specify the offences in question in a Schedule, rather than in the main body of the bill, and to empower the Governor to amend the Schedule by notice in the Gazette. It should be noted that such a conviction will not be an absolute bar, since the Governor in Council can, give, his consent to the holding of office