TNAG-0606-FCO40-754-Monitoring-progress-made-on-planning-papers-on-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 75

GPS 230

PHER/CAT A

FM F C O 291825Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 324 OF 29 APRIL.

تک

MY TELNO 277: OVERSEAS LABOUR CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE - TURNER STUDY.

1. AT THE MEETING OF THE OLCC HELD TODAY, TUC REPRESENTATIVES, AS PREDICTED IN MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, REFERRED TO THEIR PREVIOUS PROPOSAL THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT TUC REPRESENTATION ON THE TURNER ENQUIRY. IT PROVED POSSIBLE TO HEAD OFF A RENEWAL

OF THIS PROPOSAL BY DIVERTING TUC ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBILITY

OF A MEETING BETWEEN THEM AND PROFESSOR TURNER I LONDON THIS

SUMMER BEFORE HE COMPLETES THE FINAL PHASE OF HIS ENQUIRIES. WE CONSIDER SUCH A MEETING WOULD BE OF THE GREATEST VALUE, NOT LEAST

IN SECURING RECOGNITION BY THE TUC THAT TURNER'S FINAL REPORT WILL

BE AUTHORITITIVE. A LONDON VISIT BY TURNER WOULD PUT AN END TO ANY

LINGERING TUC WISH TO SEND A GENERAL COUNCIL MEMBER TO HONG KONG

TO ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH TURNER.

2. I SHOULD BE CRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PUT THIS TO TURNER DURING HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT TO HONG KONG. STEWART'S IMPRESSION DURING HIS LAST TELEPHONE CONVERSATION TO SYDNEY WAS THAT TURNER DID INTEND TO VISIT BRITAIN THIS SUMMER.

3. MR JONES MADE IT CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE TUC'S MAIN CONCERNS WAS THAT ACTION ON TURNER'S INTERIM CONCLUSIONS SHOULD NOT BF HELD UP PENDING COMPLETION OF THE THAL REPORT. HE REFERRED PARTICULARLY TO THE QUESTION OF THE MINIMUM WAGE (PARAGRAPH 80(1) OF THE REPOPT) AND SAID THIS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED UP IMMEDIATELY.

4. A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING WILL RE SENT BY FAG.

OWEN

FILES

HK & G2 (5)

OLA

PS/LORD CORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/MR LUARD

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

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