TNAG-0785-FCO40-989-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H-A-Turn-1978 — Page 82

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There is wide agreement among interested observers that the Colony's social provisions are not in keeping with what is clearly a highly industrial and economically productive and profitable state. The lack of basic social provisions on the scale evident in Hong Kong would be justly condemned in any other country.

The Legislative Council has clearly failed to act in the in- terests of the vast majority of Hong Kong's workers. How- ever, this is hardly surprising given the highly unrepresent- ative nature of the Council. A legislature, whose members are largely appointed from among the elite of the commercial and business communities, is unlikely to pay much attention to, or even understand, the problems of workers and their families.

Legislative changes are clearly necessary and the most effective way of ensuring that these fulfil the needs of the Colony's workers is for the workers themselves to have effective representation on the Legislative and Executive Councils. Such representation could come through the trade union structure, and being clearly identified with the in- terests of Hong Kong's workforce would counterbalance the political influence of business and commercial interests which have always dominated the Colony's administration.

Minimum Wages and Other Conditions

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Only about 5 per cent of the labour force are currently covered by collective agreements. Thus, the vast majority of workers are subject to the unilateral decisions of man- agement on a wide range of issues which affect their wages, conditions and working environment. Employers are highly

· organised, and are also politically strong. Accordingly, when wages rates are determined by leading employers, there is virtually no room for improvement by anyone else.

Because of the current weakness of the trade unions and their inability to play a major role in general wage deter- mination, there is clearly a need for the establishment of a body akin to a Minimum Wages Board. Such a Board could be based on the United Kingdom Wages Council system, but a single body would cover the Colony's entire workforce. The Board would deal with matters such as annual holidays, sick leave and overtime rates, as well as wages and other con- ditions of employment that may be relevant in the Hong Kong context.

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There are, of course, arguments against such a proposal. major one might, no doubt, be that minimum conditions set down by the Board may be interpreted as a maximum by employers.

Continued/...