11
foreman or master. More commonly, whère labour sub-contracting is normal (construction, docks), casual workers often congregate in known tea houses which act as informal employment exchanges and they depend on the middleman's access to the contractor for knowledge about job opportunities.
These observations, however, reflect differences in the labour relations typical of various industries, more than Imperfections of information flow. On the whole the density of settlement permits easy communication about jobs. There is some geographical limitation on information flows which can lead to discrepancies in wages and employment levels between districts of Hong Kong; and it is generally agreed that, the further one gets into the New Territories, the more segregated is local employment from the labour market of the urban areas. The conclusion is that Hong Kong's workforce is extremely well-informed about even short term fluctuations in the pattern of labour demand, both within and between industries,
2. Wage comparison:
It follows from the above that workers are generally well-informed about wage levels and are able to make choices between jobs on the basis of accurate wage comparison. llowever, employment conditions are so variable that comparison could sometimes be very difficult, especially when piece-rates, elaborate bonus systems and fringe benefits make direct comparison virtually impossible. Average daily take-home pay, weighted for some easily quantifiable fringe benefits, could allow a degree of comparison in such cases; but, in my opinion, the older Chinese firms in particular construct complicated reward systems as one means of inhibiting wage comparison with other establishments. Manipulation of piece rates, bonuses and the like is one remaining weapon in the hands of employers faced with a mobile labour force.
What about employers' information about wages? The usual answer is that they pay "the going rate" which is, presumably, the rate at which they can attract labour without stimulating a stampede. Information about that rate would be provided by the evidence of labour turnover in one's firm, by communication to management from workers (perhaps through supervisors) about dissatisfaction with present wages and, of course, by information yielded from attempts at recruitment. This version leaves the employer entirely dependent on his own direct market experience for information about how much to pay his workers. There may be a number of smaller employers who find themselves in this situation; but most larger firms have other means of discovering "the going rate".
First, government is actively involved in publishing wage data (albeit with a lag of a few months) in the most important sectors; it also takes the initiative in bringing employers of the same industry together into personnel management committees at which wage levels can be and are discussed. Its Pay Investigation Unit surveys 68 major firms annually. Second, a number of public and private organizations conduct and circulate surveys of wages (Productivity Centre, CMA etc.) to subscribers. Third, many large employers conduct their own surveys formal and informal (e.g. picking up the phone and ringing around) usually within the one industry, but sometimes more widespread. Finally there is a multiple hierarchy of employers' associations, whose prime function may not be to exchange information about wages, but which effectively provide a forum for just that. These range from fairly catholic organizations, like the FIK 1 and CMA, down to small, highly specific groups like the cotton spinners. The degree of formity of this "exchange of information" varies, but the consequence is the same any employer with access to the above sources need not depend on his workers for data about wage levels. This is a different matter from the question of collusion between employers to regulate wages, but obviously is it a necessary condition for any such collusion, Perhaps the most revealing point was the discovery that the cotton spinners divide their territory into
This indicates three districts for the purpose of discussing wage levels. .that the labour market is geographically segmented to a greater degree than would be supposed by a casual look at llong Kong's settlement pattern.
Page 45Page 46
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.