TNAG-0235-FCO40-271-Petition-on-equal-pay-for-women-from-Chinese-Civil-Servants--1970 — Page 30

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Barbara Castle

First Secretary of State

House of Commons

LONDON

Congratulations on the passage of your Equal Pay Bill, the culmin-

ation of years of effort to end exploitation of female labour

by unscrupulous employers.

Ten years ago you asked questions in Parliament about exploi-

tation of women teachers in Hong Kong Government Service. Thanks

largely to those questions the Hong Kong Government in 1965

adopted the policy that where men and women in Government Service

are doing equal work or similar work of virtually equal value

they should receive the same wage or salary and that there should

be no differentiation between married and single women.

Men and women Government teachers in Hong Kong are doing

equal work, but are still denied equal pay and equal treatment

for married and single women.

Your qual Pay Bill has now made such discrimination illegal

in Britain. We hope British law applies to the Governments

of British Crown Colonies and that you and your fellow Minister

at the Ministry of Overseas Developments, Mrs Judith Hart, can

ensure that we are no longer denied equal pay and abolition

of the marriage bar. Many protests and appeals on these matters

to successive Secretaries of State and one to the Queen have

proved fruitless. We urge you to let us know if you can help.

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