布政司署
香港下亞厘畢道
CONFIDENTIAL
DIEU
FTMON
PA employment (54)
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
*** OUR REF.: PA CR L/M 252/87
來函檔號 YOUR REF.:
C. E. Leeks, Esq., HKD,
FCO
Denr
а
HKC 210/1
210/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
15 SEP 1987
DESK OFFICA
INDEX
7th September, 1987
kery
معلم
NEGATRY
cc to to Hebber Cooke,
Them do
PA
Action Taken
VILA
Nja
се
La 11/9
fes
Labour Shortage:
NCNA Proposal
You will no doubt have noticed that there has been a lot of talk recently in the Hong Kong press about the shortage of labour. Unemployment here is now less than 2% and employers are experiencing real difficulties getting the workers they need. The shortfall in the construction industry is estimated to be of the order of 7,000 vacancies (compared with a total labour force of 70,000). You will also know that a number of proposals have been put forward, including Allen Lee's suggestion of a special industrial zone on the border into which Chinese workers could be bussed daily.
You should also know that NCNA, or at least Ji Shaoxiang, have been peddling a proposal to import Chinese workers into Hong Kong. The first we heard of this was when Ji raised it with me at a dinner I gave for Richard Lavers on 21 July. He has since spoken at various meals to the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Chief Secretary, K. Y. Yeung, Ron Bridge, Alan Carter and Darwin Chen, and possibly also to several others. He has even mentioned his idea to the Australian Consulate General. Ji's proposal, about which he is most enthusiastic, is that workers from Guangdong should come to Hong Kong in groups on short-term contracts of, say, six months to work in the construction business. It would be for Hong Kong Government to regulate the numbers of such workers and their length of stay. Asia Travel Agency would make the practical arrangements for the Chinese side. Ji believes that this would do Hong Kong a favour by filling the vacancies in the construction sector and, at the same time, give gainful employment to Chinese labourers who would be paid the normal Hong Kong wage. He believes that the
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