TNAG-0650-FCO40-798-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H.-A.-Tu-1977 — Page 86

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is relatively low: i.e., it is very much a private enterprise economy.

the

It is not, from its political situation, a democracy, so that/ "backward-

ness" in labour relations which presumably stimulated official support

for the present enquiry is paralleled or complemented by the absence

of a political labour movement. There is a great variety of organisations

of business, employers and workers, but no strong movement towards their

consolidation on class lines such as is generally characteristic of the

industrial political democracies rather the reverse, indeed: a tendency

towards fragmentation and multiplication. Which equally implies, however,

a diversity of viewpoints and interest-expressions which is probably

greater than might be found in many industrial societies with vastly

greater populations.

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8.

On the other hand, it is clear that in the last few years

a continuing attempt has been made by the administration (which I for

one have found pretty liberal in spirit) to improve social conditions,

often against considerable resistance from vocal and powerful local vested

interests. One might question whether the pace of advance matches the

relative wealth of Hong Kong and its past and prospective rate of

economic growth (and one might ask again whether the presence of a

labour movement with a socio-economic programme typical of democratic

industrial economies would not have accelerated matters). But one sees

little reason to question the genuineness of the administration's

intentions,

that in

9.

Social improvement has covered several fields - housing,

educational facilities, and so on. In particular, there have been a

number of modifications (for instance, to introduce severance pay and

protect trade unionists against victimisation)

to the originally

limited or restrictive labour legislation: new legislation will increase