TNAG-0530-FCO40-625-Trade-union-relations-in-Hong-Kong-industry-1975 — Page 4

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RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LABOUR PARTY HELD AT TRANSPORT HOUSE ON THURSDAY

4 DECEMBER 1975

Present

Sir M MacLehose

Mr P L O'Keeffe

Mr T McNally

Mr HRG Hurst

Mr I Mikardo MP

Mr R Hayward

Mr S McCluskie

Miss J Little

Mr J Chrystie

1.

Mr Mikardo said that at the Committee's meeting with the Secretary of State on 23 April, they had expressed dissatisfaction with the unrepresentative nature of the Legislative Council; with Hong Kong's performance in the application of the Conventions of the ILO which the United Kingdom had ratified; with the general state of labour relations in the Colony and the absence of collective bargaining; and with the present restrictive nature of trade union legislation in the Colony which, in their view, prevented the growth of a healthy trade union movement. Speaking generally, he was not much impressed with the argument that nothing could be done for fear of provoking an adverse Chinese reaction. This, in his view, had often been used as an excuse for inaction in the past.

2.

Sir Murray MacLehose replied that he was aware of the Committee's views and had in fact been in correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the various points Mr Mikardo had made. He could only repeat his conviction that the introduction of elections to the Legislative Council would risk serious difficulties with the Chinese who were concerned both with the possible erosion of their position that Hong Kong was Chinese territory and with the possible growth of Taiwanese influence in the Colony. He said the impossibility of introducing an elective process had led him to consider ways in which the Legislative Council could be more representative of opinion in the Colony generally. He had himself

LAST ENTRY.

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