TNAG-0573-FCO40-706-Monitoring-of-progress-made-on-planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 56

GR 450

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 121030Z

CONFIDENTIAL

12 NOV 1976

{[1+KKO 13/540/3

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1137 OF 12 NOVEMBER,

FOR STEWART FROM LAI (DIS).

YOUR TEL 906 OF 11 NOVEMBER,

20

THE SPEECHES MADE BY FATHER MCGOVERN AND JOYCE BENNETT IN

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 28 RECEIVED GOOD COVERAGE IN THE

NEWSPAPERS. MCGOVERN'S POINT ON BETTER CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS

AND BENNETT'S CALLING FOR BETTER EDUCATION QUALITY HIT THE

HEADLINES OF THE DAY.

EDITORIALLY, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (29.10.76) SAYS:

"IT WAS NOTEWORTHY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT LEGCO WAS ABLE TO HEAR NOT JUST AN INDUSTRIALIST'S OPINION OF PROPOSED NEW LABOUR LEGISLATION BUT THE VIEWS OF TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE A GOOD DEAL CLOSER TO THE WORKERS.

''PARTICULARLY WELCOME IN THIS RESPECT WAS THE FRANKNESS OF FATHER PATRIC MCGOVERN. ONE OF THE MAJOR WEAKNESSESS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN THE PAST HAS BEEN THE TENDENCY TO ASSUME A BASIC DISSIMILARITY BETWEEN CHINESE AND WESTERN WORKERS IN THEIR ATTITUDES TO WORK, HOLIDAYS AND CONDITIONS.

"IT IS PLEASING TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF PEOPLE WITH CLOSER CONTACTS AND IF THIS LEADS TO A BETTER DEAL FOR THE WORKER A LITTLE EARLIER THAN HE MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE RECEIVED IT, THAT

WILL BE ALL TO THE GOOD.

'FR. MCGOVERN WAS CAREFUL TO POINT OUT THAT REAL INCOMES TODAY WERE BASICALLY THE SAME AS THEY WERE IN 1971. IT COULD BE ARGUED

CONFIDENTIAL

/THAT