EXTRACT FROM DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1976
CALL FOR BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS
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REV. THE HON. PATRICK MCGOVERN TODAY CALLED FOR A MORE RAPID AND MORE REALISTIC IMPROVEMENT IN LIVING CONDITIONS OF WORKERS.
WHILE WELCOMING PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT AND WORKING CONDITIONS, HE STRESSED THAT THE PROPOSED ONE WEEK'S HOLIDAY WITH PAY WAS TOO SHORT AND THAT THE TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION WAS TOO SLOW.
+1 SUGGEST IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO LEGISLATE FOR ABOUT 14 WORKING DAYS PAID HOLIDAYS, AND IN 1977 RATHER THAN 1978,+ HE SAID. +OR AT LEAST SOME PROVISION COULD BE MADE FOR AN INCREASE ACCORDING TO YEARS OF SERVICE.+
REV. MCGOVERN SAID THERE WERE TWO ELEMENTS INVOLVED TIME AND THE COST.
THE
+AS REGARDS THE TIME I THINK IT IS FAIR TO POINT OUT THAT THE WORK FORCE HAS ALREADY WAITED A LONG TIME,+ HE SAID. +THE LATEST FIGURE GIVEN IN MARCH THIS YEAR 1976 SHOWS THAT REAL WAGES HAD NOT YET QUITE REACHED THE AMOUNT GIVEN IN SEPTEMBER 1971.+
+THAT IS FOUR AND A HALF YEARS LOST GROUND.
+THOUGH THE CONTEMPLATED LEGISLATION IS NOT DIRECTLY CONCERNED WITH WAGES, MY ARGUMENT IS THAT ANYTHING IN THE LINE OF LABOUR LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF WORKERS SHOULD BE AS RAPID AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR THAT LOST TIME, HE SAID.
AS FOR COSTS, REV. MCGOVERN SAID EVEN PRESUMING THAT THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS WERE GOING TO COST EMPLOYERS SOMETHING, THERE WERE SIGNS THAT THEY COULD AFFORD TO PAY..
HE NOTED THAT AT NO TIME DURING THE YEARS WHEN REAL WAGES DECLINED DID THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF
INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS FALL BELOW 600.
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+ IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN IN THE BAD YEARS, BUSINESSMEN WHO BY REPUTATION ARE HARDHEADED AND IN BUSINESS FOR PROFIT, CONSIDERED HONG KONG TO BE STILL A PLACE IN WHICH TO EXPAND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY, + HE SAID.
HE FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT, BASED ON PROFIT TAX COLLECTED, THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN REAL PROFITS EACH YEAR EVEN INCLUDING THE WORST YEARS FROM 1970-71 DOWN TO LAST YEAR BEFORE THE CHANGE OF RATE.
+WHILE WAGES DECREASED OR STOOD STILL, PROFITS EACH YEAR MAINTAINED SOME REAL INCREASE, + HE SAID.
/MOREOVER,
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