TNAG-0383-FCO40-429-Trade-unions-and-industrial-relations-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 3

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

CONFIDENTIAL-

36

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

*** OUR REF.: CR 3/3041/56 II

* YOUR REF.: HKK 5/16

Dear

Andrang

KGF.

10Ck5/16

Le

33

h

3 Sabfile

115

Hong Kong Labour Troubles and

Trade Unions

4th December 1973.

Wotton

pse consider with

the

papers

When your letter of 2nd November 1973 arrived

on 8th November, I was confined in hospital because of hepatitis. I resumed duty on 1st December and I must apologize for the delay in giving you a reply.

We have consulted a number of departments in the light of your earlier letter and this reply represents the general consensus view. I am sorry that it has taken us some time to put it all together.

The short answer to your main question is that the trend towards greater membership of F.T.U. affiliated unions has continued but that, watchful though we must be, neither the trend in union membership or in industrial unrest at present give cause for alarm. A fuller account may be helpful.

First, by way of general background I should give you a broad picture of the local situation on in- dustrial unrest this year.

During the first nine months of the year there were 3,524 industrial disputes. This is just five less than in the same period last year. As a result of strikes, 48,000 man days were lost in this period, 15,000 more than in the corresponding period last year. Thus the figures for this year will be slightly higher than those for last year but we do not expect them to be significantly out of line with the trend in recent years shown in the table below:

C.S. 41A

A.C. Stuart, Esq., CPM,

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

London S.W.1,

England.

LASE

ENTRY