TNAG-0570-FCO40-703-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 175

VI.

SECREI

30.

can consider what further steps will be possible over the

next few years.

31.

The TUC attaches great importance to the

appointment to the Legislative Council of a Trades Unionist

While the Governor is fully

from an independent union.

aware of the value to the Secretary of State of such an

appointment, the difficulties of finding a suitable or

even credible figure from the very small number of

independent unionists in Hong Kong are obvious (para. 27

referred). If one does not exist at present it would

be desirable at least to appoint a personality so

closely, publicly and personally associated with efforts

to improve industrial working conditions to dispose of

criticism that there is no spokesman for workers'

interests in the Council.

In the longer term the

availability of potential appointees with the right trade

union background would seem dependent on the growth of

effective, and independent trade unionism. The low-

profile study of industrial relations referred to in

paragraph 20 of Annex C may point the way forward on the

development of trade unionism generally; or alternatively

produce convincing sociological and political explanations

for their failure, so far, to gain popular support.

Britain and Hong Kong

32.

The relationship between Britain and Hong Kong

has followed the normal pattern which has applied to those

dependent territories which either received no grant in

aid or were at a fairly advanced stage of constitutional