7.
Mr Jones thought that the approach adopted by UK Ministers in seeking to extend legal protection to workpeople in Hong Kong was correct. Unfortunately there had as yet been no initiative to establish a minimum wage in Hong Kong and enforcement of existing labour legislation had not always been adequate. Professor Turner's proposal for the establishment of a legal minimum
The TUC supported wage. The TUC also believed that an enquiry should be made into how contacts between the Hong Kong Government and the trade unions could be improved. The TUC had suggested that a British trade unionist should be associated with the study to help provide a solution to that problem. The TUC appreciated that the most effective trade union grouping in Hong Kong, the Federation of Trade Unions (PTU) was politically orientated to Peking: nevertheless a way had to be found for the Hong Kong Administration to make contact with the ITU so that that organisation could play a more active part in the enforcement of labour legislation. Professor Turner's interim report was very useful but the TUC regretted that there would be no opportunity to discuss Hong Kong's problems with him before he began the last phase of his study and formulated his conclusions. Mr Hurst intervened to say that Professor Turner had expressed the intention of visiting the UK this summer and the opportunity should be seized for him to meet the TUC and CBI. Mr Jones went on to say that the TUC would welcome such an opportunity. Professor Turner was a distinguished academic who was highly regarded by the British trade union movement but there was a need for the trade union movement to bring practical advice to bear on ways of strengthening genuine trade union participation in Hong Kong, in the determination of wages and conditions of work there. The FTU should be encouraged to develop a more active industrial role and there was a general need to stimulate the trade unions as a whole to introduce shop stewards. Enforcement of labour legislation in Hong Kong was difficult not least because of the extent of out-work- but the UK did have an obligation to ensure that their "shop window" in Asia was as attractive as possible and that British firms were not subject to unfair competition because of low labour standards in Hong Kong. Mr Jones thought it important that action on Professor Turner's interim conclusions should not await his final report; steps should be taken now to define a legal minimum wage and encourage in particular, the trade union movement in Hong Kong to accept a more influential role in representing workpeople at their place of employment.
8. Mr Morton said he did not have the expertise to comment authoritatively on the interim report but he thought its conclusions were valid. It was essential that Hong Kong employers should have a chance to comment on the report and its conclusions and he hoped the document would not remain confidential for too long.
He was surprised at Professor Turner's view that local employers were adequately organised for labour market purposes and he thought they might face future organisational problems if Hong Kong workers found an effective collective voice. Mr Coates added that production in Hong Kong was fragmented. British companies were mainly engaged in trade, while manufacturing was mainly in the hands of local companies.
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