TNAG-0784-FCO40-988-Application-of-international-labour-conventions-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 149

CODE 18 - 17

CONFIDENTIAL

-3-

Reference

would need amendments to the Employment Ordinance regulating the payment of advances on wages and prohibiting deductions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining employment. Practice in this respect is probably in fact already in conformity with the spirit of the Convention requirements but I doubt whether a special amending bill solely for this purpose would be worthwhile.

-

9. As I indicated in my minute of 2 December, progress with the remaining Conventions in Appendix IV can only be made when the Hong Kong Government initiates the necessary policies

eg. in regard to a social security system, the lifting of restrictions on the trade unions, and the keeping of records and collection of statistics in industry.

/10.

I attach a draft which HKGD may wish to use as the basis for a letter covering the points raised in paragraphs 3-6 above.

1 February 1978

R Willcocks

Office

Overseas Labour Adviser's

CONFIDENTIAL