TNAG-0670-FCO40-819-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-land-in-New-Territories-1977 — Page 94

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2,900 pounds per annum before he was liable to pay any tax at all. There are no social insurance deductions from his pay. Furthermore most workers in Hong Kong received a Chinese New Year's bonus of an extra month's pay. H.E. said that if a minimum

wage was to be introduced, it would have to be of the statutory 'across the board' variety. But for the reasons given it would be of little practical benefit to workers. He did not exclude such a development, but it was not contemplated In the Immediate future. Mr Parry agreed and accepted that the Hong Kong labour scene could not be equated with that in UK. was particularly impressed by the low incidence of industrial strife. C for L ascribed this very largely to the early intervention, in disputes of the Labour Relations Service. added that the Labour Tribunal had also been extremely effective and that both these services were examples of how government should discharge its obligation in the absence of organised labour.

Clearances

H.E.

He

13.

Mr Parry said that he had spoken to S.N.T. and now accepted that his information about the Shatin Market clearance had not

been complete and that he had only heard one side of the case. However the Tai On Mansion case had upset him - legal tenants who had paid their rent und were very small traders had been offered low compensation and had then been forcibly evicted. D.H.A. replied that it was true that the first offers had been on the low side but these offers had been made on account and part of the reason for this was that tenants either could not or would

not produce books as a basis for an adequate assessment by the

Burveyors. Previous experience with clearing not less than a million squatters over the past 25 years had been very good, but

this was the first time that a new building had been cleared

and perhaps there were lessons to be learnt from it. Mr Parry enquired about the formula for assessing compensation and H.E. replied that whilst there was a perfectly good formula it could not come into operation since the tenants could not or

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