ENG-1946 — Page 25

11

ment: a Labour Officer, a Deputy Labour Officer, one Euro- pean and one Chinese Assistant Labour Officer, two senior European Inspectors of Labour, Factories and Workshops, four Chinese Assistant Inspectors (two of whom were women), five clerks and two office attendants.

In

The first task of the department was to ascertain the extent to which industrial undertakings were able to function after the very considerable damage to buildings and plant suffered as a result of the war, during which period industrial production had practically ceased. Re-registration of fac- tories and workshops was begun at the same time. In spite of the manifold difficulties to be overcome, including a serious shortage of skilled labour, the natural resilience of the Chinese population led to a more rapid rehabilitation of local industry than could have been anticipated, and at the end of the year there were 903 factories and workshops in operation. 1941 the number of factories in operation was approximately 1,200. Since the middle of the year (1946) a shortage of raw materials has restricted output and in many cases caused a temporary closure of factories particularly in the textile industry, but it is anticipated that this position will be progres- sively improved. When in full operation, a total of approxi- mately 30,000 workers (20,000 males; 10,000 females) will be employed in these factories and workshops, as compared with approximately 90,000 workers (male and female) em- ployed in 1941. Factory inspection was regularly carried out, with the aim, principally, of re-educating factory management in the safety and health provisions of the Factories and Work- shops Ordinance, No. 18 of 1937. Prosecution was used only as a last resort in cases of repeated failure to observe the warnings given by the department. There were 7 prosecutions for employing females and young persons during prohibited hours and one prosecution for unfenced machinery. The total number of accidents reported was 45, of which 4 were fatal. None of these was due to unfenced machinery. These totals compare with 160 reported accidents in 1939, of which 15 were fatal.

Trade Disputes and Arbitration.

On the re-occupation of the Colony, there was a serious shortage of labour both skilled and unskilled. Both grades, but particularly the skilled workers, had been enormously reduced in numbers since 1941, through death or departure from the Colony. Those that remained were suffering from malnutrition, and were incapable of a full day's work at a normal level. It was consequently a primary aim of the department to see that all workers, and particularly those engaged in heavy manual labour, received adequate wages and food. At the same time the price of the staple diet, rice, was controlled. For the first few months the Colony remained remarkably free from strikes or labour disputes, but early in