TNAG-0651-FCO40-799-Interests-of-UK-Labour-Party-and-trade-unions-in-labour-affa-1977 — Page 26

GR 650

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A ΤΑ

FM HONG KONG 191030Z

CONFIDENT I AL

CONFIDENTIAL

REGI

1

-2-2 AUG 1977

rop copy COPY

4KK 204/548/1/1

(40)

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON TELNO 723 OF 19 AUGUST INFO, PRIORITY F C 0.

FOLLOWING FOR COMMISSIONER FROM GOVERNOR.

PLEASE PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM ME TO:

PROFESSOR WILLOUBHBY, C/O MRS. E.A. WILLOUGHBY, DUSKINS, THE CLEAVE,

KINGSAND, NR. PLYMOUTH, DEVON.'

BEGINS:

.I WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU FELT ABLE TO UNDERTAKE AN ENQUIRY FOR ME AS SOON AS YOU ARE READY AFTER YOUR RETURN. THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN IN PROLONGED NEGOTIATION WITH THE SURVEY ASSISTANTS ABOUT THEIR TERMS OF PAY. THE LATTER ARE BASED ON THE COMPARATIVE GRADING AWARDED TO THIS TYPE OF WORK BY THE SALARIES COMMISSION OF 1971. THEIR RATES OF PAY WERE REVIEWED IN 1972, BUT NO

CASE WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE BASIS OF OUTSIDE COMPARISONS FOR ADJUSTMENTS (ALTHOUGH OF COURSE, IN COMMON WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE GENERALLY, SURVEY ASSISTANTS HAVE ENJOYED NORMAL SERVICE-WIDE SALARY INCREASES). A RECENT AND FURTHER COMPARISON CONDUCTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PAY INVESTIGATION UNIT, OVER WHOSE RESULTS THESE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN HELD, PRODUCED A CASE FOR PAY INCREASES AND CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED PROMOTION OPPORTUNITES. HOWEVER THE SURVEY ASSISTANTS HAVE STEADILY MAINTAINED THAT THE PROPOSALS ARE INADEQUATE AND FOR THE LAST MONTH HAVE REFUSED OUTSIDE DUTY, 1.E. ARE ON A GO-SLOW WHICH, IN EFFECT, MEANS MOST OF THEM ARE DOING NO WORK AT ALL, IF PROLONGED, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS INVOLVED ARE SMALL, THIS COULD SERIOUSLY AFFECT CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES IN BOTH

THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.

CONFIDENTAL

/2. BOTH