TNAG-0531-FCO40-626-Application-of-International-Labour-Convention-to-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 365

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RECOND OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS AND MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LABOUR PARTY HELD IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON WEDNESDAY, 23 AFRIL, at 3.15 pm

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1o. 51

Present:

The Rt Hon James Callaghan MP

Mr 3 J Barrett

r F L O'Keeffe

Mr Ian Mikardo MP Mr A Kitson

Mr Sam McCluskie Miss Little

12 MAY 1975

Fir G Foggon

Mr T McNally

Mr CV Squire

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1.

Mr Callaghan welcomed the members of the Committee and said that he would be glad to listen to what they had to say and to send them a considered reply in due course.

Hong Kong

2.

Mr Mikardo said that there was a strong and growing feeling in the Labour Party that Hong Kong was run by, and in the interests of, the trading community.

There was

real disquiet at the absence of representative institutions in the Colony. The TUC were disturbed by the non-recognition of trade unions in the Colony; the various obstacles placed in the way of development of a trade union movement; and the failure of Hong Kong to apply various ILO Conventions to which the UK itself was party. It was easy to understand that there were problems and difficult to equate the situation in Hong Kong with that in Western European countries. But the Hong Kong authorities often seemed to use alleged political difficulties associated with the existence of pro-Feking and pro-Taiwan factions as an excuse to frustrate progress.

He understood, for instance, that alleged difficulties with the CPR had recently been responsible for a decision to deny repair facilities to a Polish merchant ship which had promptly gone off to Shanghai for repair. He failed to see what barrier there was to the ratification of ILO Conventions or why the unions should, as an act of Government policy, be kept in a state of fragmentation. The situation seemed particularly bad in the seamen's unions, which had no proper functions and where it was left to an effective and conscientious Seafarers' Recruiting Officer to prevent the owners actually reducing wages in the present inflationary conditions. The Committee were quite sure the civil servants in Hong Kong were doing a good job but they were out on a limb and needed cffective backing from the trades union movement here.

COFIDENTIAL

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