TNAG-0234-FCO40-270-Labour-disputes-and-trade-unions-in-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 120

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Mr. Wilford

Sir L. Mosory Mr. Godden

Won 7.10/5

CONFIDENTIAL

Sin Seslie Monson

Brands

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Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, Limited

Mr. Clive Jenkins, Joint General Secretary of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs (ASTMS), came to see

Mr. Foggon and myself on 5 May about relations between the management 4 and the employees of the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company,

Limited (HAECO). A note of the meeting is attached.

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Recommendation

I recommend that Sir L. Monson should write to Sir H. Norman-

Walker on the lines of the attached draft.

Background

Mr. Jenkins wrote to the Secretary of State last August about

the impending dispute involving members of his Association who were

in the employment of HAECO. At that time the local branch of

ASTMS had not formed a local trade union.

The new Union was registered on 17 February and the Secretary

promptly sought recognition from the management of the Company.

The Company has, however, refused recognition on the grounds that

almost all the members of ASTMS are working under contract terms. I understand from Mr. Foggon that the existence of contracts between

individual employees and the management of a company is not a bar to the establishment of collective bargaining machinery.

The services of HAECO are widely used within the region (including the RAF) and it provides the only comprehensive facilities

for thousands of miles. The Company is locally registered and, judging from the composition of the Board of Directors, the main

interests are held by Butterfield and Swire, Jardine Mathieson and

Company, Hutchisons, and Wheelock Marden and Company.

7 May, 1970

Elain

(E. 0. Laird)

Hong Kong Department

CONFIDENTIAL

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