Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
From the Minister of State
7 April 1977
The Rt Hon The Lord Goronwy -Roberts
22
REGUYER IN
My dear Hemiany,
REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF ILO CONVENTIONS
R'
14 APRÍ
HKK 211 16257
You will remember that when Jim Callaghan was Secretary of State he decided that there should be an annual review of your performance in applying ILO Convention. He asked me to undertake such a review in the early part of the year. The upuhot last year, as you may recall, waa the message I sent you in our telegram No 436 of 7 June.
I know that you are fully aware of the importance that is attached here to liong Kong's record in applying ILO Conventions. It is regarded, particularly by the TUC, as a yardstick of the improvements you are making in raising the conditions and terms of employment. You will recall that Tony Crosland mentioned this aspect during the talk that you and I had with him last July and, as you will already be aware, David Owen is no less keen that you should do everything possible to satisfy responsible critios in this country with regard to labour matters.
16.257/1
It is against this background that I have been carrying out this year's review of the state of play on ILO Conventions. I am glad that you were able to make improved declarations to 3 Conventions in 1976: Conventions nos 2 on Unemployment, 14 on Weekly Rest (Industry) and 22 on Seamen's Articles of Agreement. This is in line with the minimum programme which I suggested in my message to you last summer.
It
is also encouraging that by applying 3 Conventions in 1976 Hong Kong improved considerably on its performance in previous years (5 Conventions during the 3 years from 1973 to 1975 inclusive). On the other hand, I have been disappointed to learn that you were not, in practice, able to carry out the slightly more ambitious programme set out in Morgan's letter of 13 September last to John Stewart. That provided for improved declarations to 5 Conventions by the end of 1976. I am advised that an improved declaration was made to a fourth Convention No 92 on Accommodation of Crews (Revised) in January this year but
8ir Murray MacLehose GBE KCMG KCVO Government House
HONG KONG
t..
/that
LAGT
(26)
NLI
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.