TNAG-0607-FCO40-755-Monitoring-progress-made-on-planning-papers-on-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 219

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recognizing its own trade unions. The consultative machinery in the Hong Kong Civil Service should be changed to a negotiating body on which representatives of all grades of civil servants would enjoy full union rights. If this were done Hong Kong employees would see the value of trade unions and there would be an increase in member- ship and an extension of collective bargaining in other sectors.

It was noted that arrangements were being made for Professor Turner to return to the UK to see representatives of the TUC and the CBI before he completed his study. [Professor Turner saw the TUC and the CBI on 3 June.]

(b) Child Labour

It was noted that this was a highly political issue in the UK and one in which the Secretary of State was taking an interest. The Hong Kong Government's recent efforts at the elimination of child labour were welcomed. There was some discussion as to how the situation might be improved, including in particular the possibility of a "minimum fine". It was agreed that this and other ideas, together with the Governor's letter of 2 May, should form the basis of a submission to Lord Goronwy-Roberts. It was recognized that, while the only effective solution to the problem of child labour lay in the introduction of universal education up to the age of 15, further improvement might be possible in advance of the latter's introduction.

(c) ILO Conventions

The Committee expressed its appreciation of the Governor's letter of 4 May to Lord Goronwy-Roberts and noted that the Hong Kong Government had now caught up with the backlog of two conventions remaining from their 1976 programme.

Agenda Item 3: Matters arising from the last meeting of the Standing Committee

(a) New Appointments to LegCo

The Committee considered that the composition of LegCo (and also of ExCo), and especially the degree to which it represented all sections of the community in Hong Kong, was fundamental to the achievement of social progress. It was recognized that a fair degree of progress had been achieved in broadening the social composition of LegCo and that its membership could not be altered too rapidly. The Committee would await with interest the Governor's reply to the Minister's letter of 28 April. The Governor would be consulted on the extent to which those recently appointed to LegCo had proved themselves effective and helpful in promoting social policies.

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