ENG-1949 — Page 27

General

OCCUPATIONS · WAGES & LABOUR

Chapter 2.

There has been during 1949 a considerable increase in industrialisation, particularly in the textile field. Com- mercial pursuits and employment related to the position of Hong Kong as a great entrepôt still absorb the majority of the population.

With a constantly fluctuating population it is difficult to estimate the proportionate distribution of employment, but it is possible to reach an approximation of the numbers employed in the three main groups of industrial undertakings. Thus it has been estimated, from returns compiled by the managements concerned, that in September 1949, in registered concerns in the engineering

engineering (including ship- building), metal and chemical industries approximately 25,000 persons were engaged. This represents an increase of about 2,000 on last year's employment figure for this group. Within the group there has been a progressive decline in employment in the shipbuilding industry, where numbers have fallen from approximately 10,000 to about 8,500. This has been counterbalanced by a slight gain in engineering and a large increase in employment in light metal industries. In the same month there were approximately 3,600 employed in public utilities and in other industries approximately 46,000, of which about 19,000 were engaged in textiles.

The Labour Department and Its Work

The department which is principally concerned with the working conditions in industry in the Colony is the Labour Department, the head of department being the Commissioner of Labour. In addition to the registration and inspection of factories, the department is constantly engaged in the conciliation and settlement of trade disputes and minor arguments about wages (the latter averaging about 32 a month); the investigation of working conditions

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