TNAG-1607-FCO40-22122-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 69

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the media and the public. From these incidents, we can identify some of the existing problems between staff and management, e.g. poor labour relations, insufficient channels of communication, distrust between staff and management, etc. The solution to the above problems lies mainly in the strengthening of direct communication between staff and management and mutual understanding of each other's wishes or difficulties. incidents have also inspired us to realize that to strengthen labour-management communication is the key to better labour relations, as well as an important element in enhancing labour

productivity.

These

Let me quote an example to illustrate the lack of communication between staff and management. Recently, I contacted a public utility company with several thousand employees, hoping to pay a courtesy visit to the company together with the union representatives of the said company. The purpose of the visit was to improve communication between staff and management. management of the company told me that I was welcome to make the visit without the union representatives.

But the

The major cause of the lack of communication between staff and management is perhaps the fact that some employers are still adopting an outdated management method --- running their company in a patriarchal style, declining to have direct and open communication with their employees, and discouraging workers from organising unions. Some employers even refuse to recognise the status of unions in negotiations. They regard welfare benefits for workers as a kind of privilege rather than a right.

They emphasise flexibility in their management approach and would only guarantee welfare benefits to their workers by word of mouth and few things are written down in contracts. Instances like these will certainly worsen labour relations. As a result, workers cultivate no sense of involvement in their work and no sense of

belonging to their company. Labour productivity is thus indirectly affected as well.