TNAG-0737-FCO40-941-Hong-Kong-annual-review-for-1977-1978 — Page 40

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slight upturn in exports at the turn of the year.

A Hong Kong fearful of China, or of its end of year

accounts might not have got over this difficult ground

so easily so far.

4.

I will return to the Police and to the EEC

negotiations, but the main, if less newsworthy, and 45

I hope less ephemeral, feature of the year, has been

the rapid progress made on the social and domestic

fronts.

a)

These can be summarised as follows:

A greater volume of more substantial

labour legislation was enacted or implemented

than in any previous year of Hong Kong's

history. The fields covered included

holidays with pay, sickness benefit, severence

pay, protection of wages, workmens' compensation

and four major sets of industrial safety

regulations. The exclusion of able-bodied

unemployed from eligibility for public

assistance was cancelled.

b) Universal free and compulsory secondary

It will become

education was announced.

universal and free as from this Autumn, and

will be made compulsory one year later, when

the employment of children under 15 years of

age will also be prohibited. To implement

this programme 52 schools have been completed

CONFIDENTIAL