TNAG-0434-FCO40-499-UK-interest-in-labour-and-social-affairs-of-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 93

wedtà molt cam b (295) HONG KONG

,"

EXTRACT THE Reneet 1973/74

Stor-In November 1973 and again February 1974 various matters were brought to the attention of the General Council regarding the situation in Hong Kong, including conditions of work and wages in the textile and other industries, the alleged illegal use of child labour, and the limited extent of trade union organisation, which, it was said, contributed to poor living and working conditions. In March it was decided to make further enquiries. regarding conditions in the textile and clothing industries, which contributed, Substantially to Hong Kong exports and employment, and in July the General Council considered the labour and trade union situation in Hong Kong generally. They noted factors working against trade union organisation, including existing legislation, political divisions between trade unions, and relatively intractable adverse social factors, and they took the view that the extent to which working people or their representatives were able to participate in the government of the Colony was unsatisfactory. The standards set by existing legislation on employment were low, especially for children, and legislation providing for minimum wage' machinery was inoperative, while it was likely that wages could be increased substantially in some industries, which were fully competitive on the world market. The General Council decided to raise within the Overseas Labour Consultativo Committee matters which concemed the'Government of Hong Kong, and

Y. Courel L

consequently the British Government, together with those which related to the attitudes of employers in Hong Kong, particularly with a view to securing

• greater measure of consultation in Britain and in Hong Kong on legislative

J administrative issues,

+

These matters were raised in a meeting with the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in July, when the Parliamentary Under Secretary, FCO, said that labour conditions were improving rapidly in Hong Kong with wages high by Asian standards and with rigorous enforcement of regulations on health and safety and on the prohibition of child labour, and that legislation was under consideration to make illegal anti-union discrimination, to provide severance payments, and to limit overtime. The view was expressed on behalf of the Government that circumstances operated in Hong Kong to prevent the development of an independent trade union movement capable of urging industrial and social reforms, and it was suggested that British trade union; leaders should visit Hong Kong to review the situation. It was suggested in reply that further consideration of specific measures should precede 'a decision on that proposal. ... da A dou

bod si 190; Basad at.. ep. 117 smin! vii si :P to boston itet til tolmu buka ma

'|; +

J

(296) IMMIGRATION ACT 1971

EDA

Congress adopted a resolution in 1973 condemning the Government for exposing to blackmail, through refusal to declare an amnesty, those immigrants who had entered this country illegally and had been led to heliove that, providing they remained for six months, they would not be able to deportation under the retrospective provisions of the 1971 Immigration Act.: L.. The resolution condemned the proposed use of officers of the Department of Health and Social Security in examining passports to determine their validity instead of carrying out their primary function of administering the social security system. Congress also called upon the next Labour Government to repeal the Immigration Act on assuming office. The resolution was brought to the attention of the Race Relations Board, the Labour Party, the Community Relations Commission, the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, and the Secretary of State for Social Services.

t

The Race Relations Board replied expressing the hope that the Government would respond positively. The Community Relations Commission expressed general agreement with the text of the resolution and pointed out that those affected by the retrospective provisions of the 1971 Immigration Act could not have been removed under previous legislation.,

http

The Home Secretary replied that the Government had never given illegal entrants who arrived before January 1, 1973 the date when the main provisions of the 1971 Act game into force-cause to believe that they were free to remain in Britain. The Government had undertaken that all those people who had settled in a legal way in Britain before that date would have their existing rights protected but not those who had entered illegally. Ilonnich.