TNAG-0234-FCO40-270-Labour-disputes-and-trade-unions-in-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 110

Mr. Laird.

Reference......

6

now 3 (1) uit way.)

1

6/6/iiv

Hong Kong : Trades Disputes Legislation.

I have had another look at the Hong Kong laws

and I find that part only of the Trade Unions and Trade Disputes Ordinance 1948 (Cap.64) was repealed.

Sections 35 to 44 of that Ordinance are still valid

(flagged A).

2. The truncated version of the legislation does not

contain the customary provision about conciliation, based on our own Conciliation Act of 1896, which usually appears in this type of legislation. (This

will be remedied when the Industrial Relations Bill, now in draft, is enacted). Nevertheless, Section 35(3) of Cap.64 refers to arrangements for the settle-

ment of disputes by conciliation as well as by arbitration, and the definition of 'trade dispute'

remains in Section 2 of the Ordinance. In addition, I

know that there is a Conciliation Branch of the

Department of Labour with officers specialising in the

handling of industrial disputes, whose activities constitute a valuable part of the Department's work

even though there is no proper legislative basis for

their activities.

3. I would therefore prefer to let the correspondence

with Mr. Clive Jenkins rest with my letter of 11 May.

(G.Foggon) 15 May 1970.

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