TNAG-0648-FCO40-796-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H-A-Turn-1977 — Page 8

9PS300 PRIORITY

CYPHER CATA

FM FCO 0511502

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

TO PRIORITY SYDNEY TEL NO 14 OF 5 MAY.

135

PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO PROFESSOR TURNER, C/O SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, FROM STEWART, HK G D.

1. THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A MESSAGE WE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR

OF HONG KONG ON 29 APRIL FOLLOWING DISCUSSION OF YOUR INTERIM AND

PROVISIONAL REVIEW AT THE MEETING OF THE OVERSEAS LABOUR CONSULTATIVE

COMMITTEE THAT DAY :

QUOTE

AT THE MEETING OF THE OL C C HELD TODAY, TU C REPRESENTATIVES, AS PREDICTED IN MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, REFERRED TO THEIR PREVIOUS PROPOSAL THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT T U C REPRESENTATION ON THE

TURNER ENQUIRY. IT PROVED POSSIBLE TO HEAD OFF A RENEWAL OF THIS

PROPOSAL BY DIVERTING T U C ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A MEET-

ING BETWEEN THEM AND PROFESSOR TURNER IN 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 RECOG- NITION BY THE TU C THAT TURNER'S FINA!. REPORT WILL BE AUTHORITATIVE.

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 ASS- OCIATION WITH TURNER.

1 SHOULD BE GRATEFUL 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.

MR JONES MADE IT CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE TU C'S MAIN CONCERNS WAS THAT

ACTION ON TURNER'S INTERIM CONCLUSIONS SHOULD NOT BE HELD UP PENDING

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL REPORT. HE REFERRED PARTICULARLY TO THE

QUESTION OF THE MINIMUM WAGE (PARA 89(1) OF THE REPORT) AND SAID THIS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED UP IMMEDIATELY,

A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING WILL BE SENT BY BAG.

UNQUOTE.

2. IN VIEW OF THE MINISTER'S COMMITMENT TO THE TU C, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHETHER YOU

WILL BE ABE TO COME TO LONDON THIS SUMMER.

OWEN

FILES

HK JG D

OLA

PS/LORD GURGNLY RUBERTS PS/MRLUARD

MR CURTAZZI MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

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