TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 247

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BACKGROUND NOTE

HONG KONG: PQS: MR ROBERT PARRY MP

Procedures for Settling Industrial Disputes in Hong Kong

1.

Trade disputes in Hong Kong to date have been settled primarily by the ordinary conciliation provided under the Labour Relations Ordinance (Cap.55) and it has not been necessary to invoke the other powers provided. Over the past five years the Labour Department has had a high rate of success. The table below shows that in 1979, 80% of the 161 trade disputes were settled through ordinary concili- ation. The remainder were largely disputes arising from employers' insolvency and were referred to the Legal Aid Department for assistance:

Year

Number of Disputes

% of Disputes Settled by Labour

Relations Services

1975

125

69

1976

136

73

1977

145

70

1978

182

1979

161

80

228

75

Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union

2. The issue involving this union is not an industrial dispute. Its 240 members are all employed by voluntary agencies in the social welfare field and none by the Hong Kong Government. The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service deals only with Civil Service matters and is therefore not concerned with representations from this union.

3.

Between October 1979 and February 1980, before formal registration as a trade union on 8 February 1980, the union addressed four "petitions" to the Governor and the Chief Secretary. As petitions they were dealt with in the normal manner. The union demanded that the Hong Kong Government should apply the Social Welfare Department's new organisational structure and salary scales to social workers in voluntary agencies. The Hong Kong Government sent replies in January and March which explained that, since voluntary agencies are subvented

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