PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL
THE LABOUR PARTY
BACKGROUND PAPER ON HONG KONG
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT ID/1973-74/22
Historical and General
and
The Crown Colony of Hong Kong passed into British hands as a result of tho First
Sooond Opium Wars (1841 & 1850 rosp) and a later (1898) extension of a 99 year lease on the New Territories. It has an area of just under 400 square miles and a population of just over 4 million. 85% of these live in the 30-odd square miles of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, where they endure the highest population density in the world. About half aro British subjects. (1) Prior to 1949 the colony derived most of its income from its function as an entropot for the Chiratrado, with
incone ancilliary/from banking, insurance and shipping. Since 1949 it has developod into one of the most important manufacturing centros in rin: it has also becorie a huge,
Its if unstablo, financial contro with 4 stock oxchanges and hundreds of banks. sterling deposits now stand at at least £900m. (possibly larger) and provide roughly
half the backing for the pound.
Working Population
There are approximately 1.5 million in the labour force of which 0.6 million are in manufacturing. (io 41.4%) This is not only the highost percentage in Asia, but the highest percontage in all of the 48 underdeveloped countrios listod by UNCTAD 1972 statistics. (2) HK's manufacturing as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product is also the highest (38%) in those samo statistics. Only 59.0% of those were full-time workers in 1966 (3).
Trade Unions and Labour Logislation
Historically, Hong Kong trade unionists played an important part in tho development of trade unionism in China as a whole. (4) Tho 1922 Seamon's Strike
striking for oqual pay with European soamon thon gotting four timos the salary for tho anne work) lod to a General Strike and was the first major movonont of its kind. The 1925-6 General Strike and Poycott moarly toppled the rogine. Various mo:sures takon botweon these ovents and today have resulted in a situation where trado union activity as we know it in UK is virtually impossible in Hong Kong.
1. All Unions must be registered by the Rogistrar of Trade Unions
2.
3.
All Unions must be industry-specifio, i.o. the normal for of union movn in UK, the general union, is bannod in HK. (5)
No union is allowed to establish a political fund for its nombors.
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