(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Aw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No. HRK 5/17.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT LETTER
Top-Secret.
Sceret.
Confidential.✓
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
To:-
will
Type 1 +
From Mr Laird
Sir Hugh Norman Walker,
Telephone No. & Ext.
K.C.M.G., O.B.E.,
Hong Kong.
Department
As we told you in our telegram No. 262 of 24 April,
Mr Clive Jenkins, Joint General Secretary of the Assoc- iation of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs,
asked for a meeting to discuss the refusal of Hong
Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd.. to recognise the
Union which has been formed in Hong Kong/by HAECO
employees who belong to the A.S.T.M.S.
2. We duly met Mr Jenkins on 5 May, together with George Foggon, the Overseas Labour Adviser of FCO, and he explained that when he visited Hong Kong in October, 1969, he found Mr Wakeford, the General- Manager of HAECO, willing to deal with the new local
Union when it had been duly registered. Mr Jenkins
has now been informed by the local Union that HAECO have refused to recognise them on the grounds that almost all their members/are working under contract
terms.
3. The majority of aircraft engineers all over the world is working under contract but, despite this, their Unions have negotiated agreements with manage-
ment to the satisfaction of both sides and Mr Jenkins
is unable to accept HAECO's reason for refusal of recognition as/ valid. He pointed out that, while previously salaries of aircraft engineers in Hong Kong
compared favourably with U.K. rates, this no longer holds good/and that a revision to adjust the comparison
is due.
4. Mr Jenkins stated that, if HAECO proves adamant in
its refusal to recognise and negotiate with the Union, he could declare Hong Kong "black" with the result that BOA and American air lines would refuse to fly to Hong Kong. He realised that this would be an extreme step to take and one which he would contemplate only
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