TNAG-0650-FCO40-798-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H.-A.-Tu-1977 — Page 99

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III. Explanations of Union Weakness or Industrial

Relations Immaturity

27.

As regards the weakness of trade unions, and the comparitive

absence of labour pressure for social progress, we were given a variety of

explanations, which fall broadly into two groups. The first contains

the following complementary propositions:

i)

To quote a letter signed "A Major Hong Kong Industrial

Labour Employer" in the South China Morning Post of Dec.

8th :

".......... the interplay of free market forces in

improving the working conditions and benefits realised

by workers (is) a direct result of intense competition

for labour in a labour-limited community". It is argued

that the normal situation of the labour market has been

one of comparative labour scarcity, with interruptions like

the 1974 recession being (though in that case fairly

intense) rare and brief in their effects. Hong Kong is

a concentrated urban community, the labour force is 85%

literate, communication via both traditional and modern

methods (the clan and the extended family on the one hand,

the prolific Chinese press and the virtually free telephone

system on the other) is high, so that workers are made

readily aware of alternative job opportunities. The

refugee background of the labour force encouraged

adaptation, flexibility and initiative, which makes the

Hong Kong worker unusually willing to change jobs and

exploit favourable labour market situations.

ii) Employers themselves compete freely for labour. Moreover

there is a strong paternalistic element in their attitude, and a belief in principle that it is both proper and wipe to ensure that a share in evident prosperity be passed on to their employees. The bigger firms, at least (which

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