3.
during the last Session.
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Certain sections of the bill had been the subject of prolonged discussion in the Labour Advisory Board and also in the Executive Council not surprising as they were issues which have been debated with equally honest doubt in the UK and elsewhere. Because the issues were contentious Executive Council advised that the bill should be published for at least 2 months before it was debated in the Legislative Council in order to allow time for union and other opinion to express itself, and the period was eventually considerably prolonged. Representa- tions were made to UMELCO by many unions and other bodies and in consequence the bill was considerably amended and I think improved. Its passage was a significant milestone in labour legislation in Hong Kong. particularly pleased at the way in which the machinery to allow public opinion to make itself felt through established channels worked so well. It is therefore a little ironical that the handling of the bill should be adduced by you as proof that this machinery is incompetent! I should add all criticism has ended with the passage of the bill.
9.
I was
I do view with dismay the proposal that the Secretary of State should discuss in Peking the behaviour of communist trades unions in Hong Kong, and that he should suggest that they should co-operate in the administration of the Colony. They are after all organs of CPG policy and subject to direct instructions from Peking or Canton (though this would not he admitted by them). If the Secretary of State spoke as proposed, the CPG would have every right to deduce that HMG had decided that this was the right time to make a studied move towards the involvement of the CFG in the administration of Hong Kong either through the unions or in some other way, and this would open up very large questions indeed.
10.
In the circumstances I think it is best to accept that the communist trades union movement in Hong Kong is sui generis, and that it be dealt with in Hong Kong by the contacts already available to us, and that we leave to them the decision as to the fields in which they will and will not co-operate overtly with the Hong Kong Government.
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