TNAG-0648-FCO40-796-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H-A-Turn-1977 — Page 47

22. In the absence of effective trade unions in the industrial sense, the Hong Kong Labour Department has become increasingly involved in protecting and promoting employees' interests (paras 67 - 70): even the success of the Labour Tribunals in dealing with workers' contractual grievances has had no effect on the numbers of grievances settled by the Labour Department, which have continued to increase (para 71).

Conclusions

-

23. Paragraphs 73 81 of the report set out provisional con- clusions on the situation which has arisen in Hong Kong where there are good reasons why an effective trade union should have appeared; where there are no cultural/sociological obstacles; where the legal obstacles are now (or will be shortly) trivial. There are five reasons to change the present situation (para 74); firstly because of the "enormous" potential influence of the left-wing FTU if there were, for example, an ideological crisis in Peking resulting in disturbances in Hong Kong. Secondly, another recession could set off a spontaneous or alternative radical labour and political movement capable of producing "an autonomous industrial and political crisis". Thirdly, there is doubt as to whether employees have shared appropriately in Hong Kong's prosperity. Fourthly, employees would benefit from a trade union movement strong enough to influence the Government's social and labour policies. Fifthly, effective trade unions would eradicate pockets of inefficiency which survive because cf their use of cheap immobile labour.

24. On the question of what should be done the report makes a distinction between the "social front" and "industrial relations" and again emphasises (para 76) that the suggestions are "tentative" and "interim". On the need for social progress (para 77) employee attitudes indicate widespread support for a Social Security scheme linked with the acquisition of accommodation rights and, secondly, a reform of the educational system to provide easier access to higher education irrespective of the ability to pay. (The Hong Kong Government's existing programmes for "acquisition of accommodation rights" and education are described at paragraphs 18 and 19 of Paper OLCC(1977)1Bparagraph 17 of that Paper refers to plans in the field of social security.)

7

/25. It is