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Mr Lavid
Mw
ا منهم
MR.
• KENNBARN 201
I saw Mr. Clive Jenkins this evening (Friday 24 July) at his office in Half Moon Street.
2. He obviously feels that his prestige is at stake over this and is discussing the situation with the American unions concerned (he gave no names) with a view to obtain- ing the help if required. (As he put it - "I am calling in my 1.0.U.'s"). He believes that he was deliberately deceived in Hong Kong by the Aero Engineering Co., when they (according to him) told him that there would be no problem about recognition. He has discussed with Mr. Mark Young flying out in mid-August, but he is reluctant to do this.
(Clearly it would damage his image with his members even more if such a visit were to be abortive).
3.
equally
As regards the Parliamentary pressure to which Mr. Gibson referred, Mr. Jenkins said it was no good mounting it in the closing days of Parliament; he could not visit until mid-October when Parliament re-assembles. I reminded him of Mr. Gibson's request to the Foreign Secretary to receive a delegation of which he would be a member and he enquired when this would be likely to take place. I told him that I had no precise information, but my guess was that the Foreign Secretary would ask Mr. Royle to receive the delegation as he was responsible under present arrange- ments for Hong Kong affairs. Mr. Jenkins said that this would suit him very well but he hoped that the meeting would take place reasonably early, perhaps in the next two weeks.
4. I told him that the Hong Kong Department of Labour had been in touch with the employers who had indicated that they would be ready to discuss 'certain matters' on an informal basis with the union - but that these did not include wages. Mr. Jenkins comment was that the employers were talking like 19th Century iron-masters; they should wake up and realise this was the 20th Century.
5.
I was left with the clear impression that Mr. Jenkins means business; he is not yet clear how he can bring pressure on the Hong Kong Aero Engineering Co., but I don't think he will give up lightly.
6.
We must keep in mind the general policy question of the position in Hong Kong about trade union recognition and
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