TNAG-0571-FCO40-704-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 26

G

CONFIDENTIAL

Mid to HILKONG/SUS/)

RECORD OF FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR, HONG KONG, AT 5.00 PM ON 22 JULY

Present:

The Rt Hon Anthony Crosland MP The Rt Hon Lord Goronwy-Roberts Mr O'Keeffe

Mr Whyte Mr Lipsey

Mr Dales

Sir M MacLehose

erhad b

(HX4214%

нки

1.

Mr Crosland said that he recognised how much progress had been made in Hong Kong during Sir Murray MacLehose's term of office and paid tribute to the leadership he had provided. He said that while he well understood how delicate it was in Hong Kong to promote further social change along the lines recommended in the Planning Faper, Sir Murray MacLehose would also understand that HMG were under fairly strong political pressure here and that Ministers themselves felt the time had come for a move forward. He particularly wished to discuss the programme for labour legislation and the Governor's proposals for change in the size and composition of the Legislative Council.

Labour Legislation

2.

Mr Crosland said that as he understood it, the Governor had proposed announcing a substantial programme of labour legislation during the next session of the Legislative Council but wished only to refer to developments thereafter, notably in the matter of the minimum wage and the statutory hours of work, in general terms.

Sir M MacLehose said that this was indeed the case: he was afraid that any specific reference to the minimum wage and statutory hours of work in October might well prejudice the programme for next year, which included a provision for four additional holidays with pay a year, four additional rest days, and one week's paid annual leave. Additionally, legislation was to be introduced for the abolition of overtime for minors; increased severance pay and redundancy payments; and the abolition of the present restrictich on the employment of paid official: by trade unions. Next year's programme would put 6% on employers' wage bills and represent very substantial progress. This would in his judgement be prejudiced by overt references to steps that would subsequently be taken to improve labour legislation further within the five-year programme. Mr Crosland agreed that next year's legislative programme was a very healthy package. He wondered what the effect of the total five-year programme would be on Hong Kong's adherence to ILO conventions which had assumed a certain symbolic importance in political circles in the United Kingdom. Sir M MacLehose explained that Hong Kon would be able to increase its applications of ILO conventions from 33 (21 in whole and 12 in part) to 41 (27 in whole and 14 in part). This would be a much higher total than any Asian neighbour, including Japan. Mr Crosland thought that the Governor's proposed statement to the Legislative Council should emphasise this.

1

*

13.