TNAG-0530-FCO40-625-Trade-union-relations-in-Hong-Kong-industry-1975 — Page 110

CODE 18-77

FREEIVED

10

SECRET

13 AUG 1975

O. L. A.

HONG KONG: REPRESENTATIONS BY THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LABOUR PARTY

1.

You will see from the attached papers that Sir Duncan Watson has now written to the Governor setting out the Secretary of State's views on the various points made by the NEC and that the Secretary of State himself has written to Mr Mikardo.

2.

You will also see that, in your absence, the question of the modalities of the review of labour relations in the Colony has been left open. When we discussed this briefly earlier this week, we agreed that the first step would be to find out whether Dr McCarthy could undertake this piece of research. We also agreed that you would consider the modalities and let us have your views as soon as possible. I would be grateful for these and you may like to note that from the political point of view, there is much merit in seeking the Governor's agreement to commission this study himself. This would, among other things, go a long way to ensuring that the right doors were open to the researcher in Hong Kong.

RECERE N RECIPERE

20 AUG 1975

миль

PL O'Keeffe

RE.

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

12 August 1975

Fir O'Keeffe

1.

I had a talk yesterday with Dr W E J McCarthy (Fellow of Nuffield College and the Oxford Management Centre).

I emphasised that the object was not for a report to be produced for the Government; what was wanted was a straightforward piece of academic research aimed at producing a fair and unbiased and, we hope, probing analysis of the industrial relations scene in Hong Kong. I explained also that the funding would probably be from funds available to the Ministry of Overseas Development for economic and social research.

2. Dr McCarthy was interested but he made it clear at once that while he might be ready to supervise the work, he could not undertake it personally in view of his many other commitments. I said at once that this had been our own assessment and that clearly the detailed leg work on the spot would need to be done by a Research Assistant whose qualities and prejudices would need to be carefully measured in advance. Dr RcCarthy at once agreed and said he would like to think the whole project over. His tentative reaction was that we

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/should need

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