TNAG-0822-FCO40-1029-Policy-on-salaries-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 490

JM Rowlands Esq

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 430/1.

INDEX

10 APR 1973

No insic28

Secretary for the Civil Service

Hong Kong

Gofernment Secretariat

HONG KONG

See 31

233-4381

14 April 1978

28

SHORTHAND AND AUDIO TYPISTS' DISPUTE

1. Please refer to correspondence resting with Ron Bridge's telegram of 11 February to John Stewart (Hong Kong Telegran No 170 to the FCC), about your dispute with the shorthand and audio typists. I am afraid that this does still remain a live issue here. We continue to receive enquiries from people anxious to know what is being done to resolve the dispute (I enclose copies of the latest exchange between Lord Goronwy-Roberts and the Political Secretary of the South Surburban Cooperative Society) and the Minister has committed himself to lesting the MPs who have taken an interest in this case know how it is eventually resolved.

2. I should be grateful to know the present position therefore. Are any members of SATA still in dispute with the Government? We realise that this may no longer be a significant issue in hong Kong. But in view of the high level of political interest that the case has aroused in this country, the Minister believes that it is important for you to be seen to take positive steps to achieve at least an interim solution. If this is not done, there is a serious danger that the case will be used by those people in this country who are only too eager to knock the Hong Kong Government's industrial relations policies to create adverse publicity quite out of proportion to the merits of the case.

3. We accept that for the reasons given in the telegram referred to above most of the possible concessions mentioned in John Stewart's letter of 26 January are not practicable. However, would it not be possible to give the benefits of the new scheme now to all members of the grade (with backpay where appropriate) with an undertaking that their case will be ultimately submitted to arbitration once the new procedures referred to in paragraph 3 of Ron Bridge's letter G/S/2/6 III of 17 November 1977 have been introduced.

14.

CONFIDENTIAL