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Mr Ma Sir
rfale
Watson
PS/Lord Gorony-Roberts
P
NOB &
REGE!
IN
REGI
19 SEP 1975
HKK 5/28
REF
HONG KONG: REPRESENTATIONS BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS
1.
At the Secretary of State's meeting with the Committee on 19 June, Mr Jack Jones confirmed continuing TUC interest in the general labour and industrial relations situation in Hong Kong. The Secretary of State directed that, in addition to advising the International Committee of the NEC, we should also inform the TUC of the outcome of his discussions in the office on these matters.
2.
I attach a draft letter from the Secretary of State to Mr Murray which follows the line taken in his letter of 7 August to Mr Mikardo. On Mr McNally's advice, the suggested reply confines itself to the questions of Hong Kong adherence to the ILO Conventions, the labour relations situation in Hong Kong generally and Hong Kong trade union legislation in particular.
These are
the points in which the TUC have shown an interest. They have not raised the more difficult question of the non-elective procedures for choosing members of the Legislative Council and it seems wisest not to raise this ourselves.
3.
We still await a considered reply from the Governor on the various suggestions made in Sir Duncan Watson's letter of 8 August incorporating the results of the Secretary of State's office meeting of 21 July. He has, however, drawn attention to the difficult concatenation of events this autumn when the situation in Hong Kong remains tense pending an up-turn in world economic activity on which Hong Kong's trade is so dependent and when we are seeking a much greater contribution from the Colony towards the costs of the garrison. These points will of course need to be borne in mind but I am not at this stage convinced that the measures we have suggested will significantly affect confidence in the Colony.
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