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[DR CHUNG] Employment (Amendment) (No 2) Bill—resumption of debate on second reading (28.1.70)
has power to grant permission for women working on night shift but is very reluctant to exercise it due to certain restrictions imposed by White Hall in London. Therefore, when it comes to internal affairs, we are, as my honourable Colleague Mr KAN often said, remotely controlled by London and cannot decide for our own selves.
When, however, it comes to trade, Hong Kong is to be considered as a complete outsider. I can quote many good cases in point but I shall today confine myself to the most recent one involving the Industrial Development (Ships) Bill which was passed in the House of Commons last month. The enactment of this bill in the United Kingdom will mean a double-blow to our ship building and repairing industry. Firstly, British registered shipping companies will no longer enjoy the privilege of an investment grant from the UK Government when building or converting ships in Hong Kong. Secondly, British ship owners will have better financial incentive to have their ships built, converted or repaired even in an EFTA country than in Hong Kong.
It appears, then, that we are neither fish, flesh nor fowl in so far as our relations with the United Kingdom are concerned. This is highly unsatisfactory. I firmly believe that our Government in Hong Kong must be given the full authority to make decisions on internal matters so that we can adopt measures which, in our own opinion, are in the overall interests of our community.
Sir, I now come back to the Employment (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 1970 and have one point in detail. It relates to subsection (5) of new section 11F and subsection (3) of new section 11G. These two subsections grant permission to an employer to substitute for any appointed rest day some other rest day within the period of thirty days next following. I think it is essential, for practical reasons, to allow a substitute rest day to be given on a day preceding the appointed rest day, and not necessarily only on a day following the appointed rest day.
Let me take an example to demonstrate the need for greater flexibility in substitute rest days. The first day of May is known internationally as the Labour Day and is a holiday for most, if not for all factories. This year May the 1st is a Friday. Since many factories definitely take Sunday as the appointed rest day of the week, it is very likely that some factories prefer, on account of higher efficiency and greater economy in their operations, to have two non- working days running consecutively or in other words to bring forward
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