TNAG-0650-FCO40-798-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H.-A.-Tu-1977 — Page 110

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extremely uncoordinated complex of divergent employer policies, each

presumably designed to offer some rival attraction to labour against

the inducements of other firms. But again there are substantial

reservations to be made.

40.

The typical employer answer to the question: "How are wages

and salaries fixed" is some variant of "we have to pay the going rate,

which is determined by labour and product market conditions". But this

begs the question of how "the going rate" itself emerges, suggesting

that each employer adjusts wages simply to correct deficiencies or

surpluses of the particular kind of labour he requires. Again, there are

cases where the immediate labour supply situation is the major pressure

on particular firms. But this does not appear to be the general

situation, By and large, "the going rate" (or rather, the typical annual

adjustment to wages) seems to emerge as a process, not quite of

collusion, but certainly of interchange and mutual understanding

between employers.

५१ वर

In

First, it has already been noted that collective organisation

amongst employers (though not necessarily as employers' associations proper) is considerably more comprehensive than amongst workers.

all those with which we held discussions, there was some procedure

(such as a special labour committee) to consider labour problems, and

it was generally accepted that this included at least an "exchange of views" on wages, though only the Employers' Federation itself gave

formal advice to members on request. At the level of individual

industries, such as the utilities and spinning, it was evident that

the "exchange" included some more-or-less firm understanding on wage

policy for the next round of adjustment, if not an attempt to determine

the latter's amount.

....