TNAG-0647-FCO40-795-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H-A-Turn-1977 — Page 144

in the pilot survey with the size distribution of all manufactu-

ring firms in Hong Kong (see Employment Statistics March 1976

Table 2) suggests that the sizes of the firms selected for the

"small firms category" were fairly representative but that the

sizes of firms selected for the "large firms category" were

rather larger than is typical for Hong Kong.

Table 3

Skill distribution of blue collar workers in Textiles, Garments,

Plastics, Miscellaneous Metals and Electrics and Electronics

Industries.

(Third Manpower Survey).

Textiles Garments Plastics Metals

Electr

Total

Pilot

Skilled

18140

2170

3166

20 675 19676

63827

21

(13%)

Semi-

skilled

Unskilled

89944

114 274

17306

30 874 44904

327302

62

(68%)

19862

28 262

34704

6 050

2969

91847

17

(19%)

Total

482976

100

(100)

II

The skill distribution of the Pilot Survey respondents corresponds

fairly closely to the general skill distribution in the industries

covered by the Pilot Survey as Table 3 shows although the Pilot

Survey did contain a somewhat greater proportion of skilled

workers.

Employment Status, Payment Systems, Benefits and Allowances Received

Nearly half of the respondents had the status of permanent workers; the

remainder were fairly evenly split between long term casual and short

term casual. Over two thirds of the sample, however, were paid on a

monthly basis with most of the remainder being paid on a fortnightly basis.

There were only 2 respondents paid on a daily basis and mone on a weekly

basis; this is a much lower figure than one would expect bearing in mind

the job status distribution of the respondents. More respondents were

paid on a daily rate than on a piece rate system (58 compared to 41),

again fewer piece rate workers than one would expect on the basis of the

job status distribution.

The welfare benefits that the respondents received from their employers

are given in Table 4. There we can see that medical care was the most

commonly received welfare benefit, being received in fact by over two