TNAG-0297-FCO40-333-Employment-of-women-at-night-in-industrial-undertakings-in-H-1971 — Page 35

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT / A

FM HONG KONG 2507532

CONFIDENTIAL

5

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O. TELEGRAM NO. 349 OF 25 MAY 1971

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 380 TO ME.

NIGHT WORK FOR WOMEN.

LAST

REF

N

REF.

6

THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE SCHEME, WHILE TECHNICALLY CONFIDENTIAL, IS ALREADY KNOWN ON A WIDE BASIS AND MANY FRONTS, ALTHOUGH IT

WOULD THEORETICALLY BE PRACTICABLE TO DELAY A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS DELAY WOULD INEVITABLY BE ASSUMED TO BE AS A RESULT OF INTERVENTION FROM HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, WHICH AT THE PRESENT MOMENT WOULD BE EXTREMEL Y EMBARRASSING TO ME.

2. THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MEETING

ARRANGED FOR THE 26TH MAY, AND PRICE HAS NOT BEEN AUTHORISED, NOR BRIEFED, TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT, WHICH WAS IN ANY

CASE REVIEWED AFTER HIS DEPARTURE ON LEAVE,

3. I MUST I THINK THEREFORE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST GO AHEAD SEMICOLON BUT AM DELAYING AN ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL 1700 HOURS LOCAL

TIME 27TH MAY. THIS IS LATEST POSSIBLE DATE AS DIFFICULTIES WILL

ARISE OVER WHETHER EMPLOYERS SHOULD GIVE ONE MONTHS' NOTICE TO

GUARD AGAINST PERMISSION TO WORK WOMEN LARSING.

TRENCH

FILES

HKD

OLA

SIR L MONSON

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51

26 MAY 1971

NXXSY

23

MR WILFORD

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CONFIDENTIAL