TNAG-0450-FCO40-515-Reports-of-Overseas-Labour-Adviser-on-visits-from-UK-to-Hong-1974 — Page 8

J N Henderson Esq

Ag Commissioner of Labour

31 May 1974

Labour Department

Lee Gardens

Hysan Avenue

Causeway Bay Hong Kong

(17,

JUN

IN No. 51

-3 PHẦN 1974

HKK 5/13.

HONG KONG: GENERAL AND MODIFIED CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

Further to my letter of 22 May, could I

enquire whether any adjustments have been made

to the wages of Class I employees as a

consequence of the rise in the MCFI?

I note

that the suggestion contained in paragraph 13

of my report was not dealt with in the commentary

that has reached us.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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LABOUR AFFAIRS: HONG KONG

1.

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY, 51

2 5 JUN 1974

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The Overseas Labour Adviser visited Hong Kong between

9 and 21 February 1974 to carry out one of his periodic reviews of labour and social conditions in the Colony. (He had previously visited Hong Kong in 1965, 1967 and 1971.) His detailed report and recommendations are at Flag A. The preliminary comments of the Hong Kong Government on the specifically labour matters raised in his report are at Flag B. A general despatch covering the wider social, budgetary and fiscal issues raised in the report has been promised soon by the Governor.

2.

Labour and social standards in Hong Kong have been a frequent subject of Parliamentary interest over the years, and the labour legislation and the administrative arrangements for the

oversight of that legislation have therefore been the subject of continuous scrutiny here. In particular, the programme of new and improved labour legislation is periodically reviewed, both here and in Hong Kong, and the progress of individual items carefully monitored. With exceptions that are referred to later there is broad agreement between us and the Hong Kong administration on the legislative programme; but the pace at which it is being and has been carried forward has not always been regarded by us as entirely. satisfactory. That being said, however, there exists in Hong Kong a framework of labour legislation of a relatively advanced type governing safety, health and welfare in industrial employment; workmen's compensation; employment of children; labour contracts, and the operation of trade unions including the customary protection against tort, conspiracy, breach of contract etc. embodied in British trade union legislation. (A full schedule of existing legislation is to be found at Flag C.)

3.

A strong and well trained Department of Labour has been built up, with detailed and frequent inspection of working conditions and the application of labour standards as its central function. No less than 147,000 inspections were made in the year

/1972/73,

CONFIDENTIAL