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21171
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Соргазде Mr Hurray
FS/Lord Gorany-Roberts
HKK 211
RESIVAD IN REGISTRY NO. 37
22 FEB:973
DESA OSFIOTR
HONG KONG : APPLICATION OF ILO CONVENTIONS/
See (7
1. The Hong Kong Government have now provided their annual report on the progress made in applying ILO Conventions in 1977 and the improvements planned for 1978.
2.
They claim to have made improvements in respect of six Conventions but we can accept that only five have been improved. This is due to a difference of spinion as to the date on which an improvement can be regarded as having been made and not because we dispute the real progress that has been made. This apart, I am satisfied that the Hong Kong Government have kept to the agreement which we reached with them. I am also heartened by their intention to make improvements in a further six Conventions this year and believe that we should endorse these proposals.
3. After 1978 it will be much more difficult to maintain the present rate of progrpas. The Hong Kong Government have under- taken to look further inte four Conventions, three of which are concerned with the minimum age for employment. Full application of these three will not therefore be possible until September 1980 when the school leaving age is raised to 15. This leaves thirty Conventions, out of sixty-nine, on which no improvement is envisaged.
4. A number of these touch on areas which may well be dealt with in Professor Turner's review of labeur relations and I agree that no further consideration can be given to such Conventions until any policy changes resulting from the review have been agreed. Improved declarations on another group of Conventions depend upon the introduction of a full social security system, the first sto of which is now being introduced, There are also some which, deal with the collection of statistical information which, in my view, would in any case be of little real benefit to the work force in Hong Kong
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