ENG-1955 — Page 60

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

activities from welfare schemes, which it had fostered during 1954, to more direct agitation in the labour field. Early in 1955 a spring offensive was launched, bringing serious disputes in the Mayar and Fou Wah Silk Mills. At the same time the left-wing Spinning, Weaving and Dyeing Workers' Union made widespread complaints concerning conditions in the whole of the spinning industry. Most of these com- plaints sprang from incidents deliberately engineered by the union.

In June a full-scale attack on the amount and method of computing of cost-of-living allowances paid to workers was made by 18 member unions of the F.T.U. The Employers' Federation conceded that some adjustment was necessary, and in July its members adopted a scheme which had the general effect of increasing workers' earnings by $6 a month.

The dispute at Hong Kong Tramways Ltd. mentioned in last year's Annual Report continued until October 1955. No further strike of tramway workers occurred this year, but there was spasmodic agitation in the left-wing Press. The dispute concerned the dismissal for redundancy of 31 workers, among whom were the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Tramway Workers' Union. Eventually, after the manage- ment threatened legal action unless uniforms and other company property were returned, the men came forward to collect the gratuities due to them, and the dispute subsided.

The strike and lock-out at the Mayar Silk Mills, one of the larger mills in Tsun Wan, accounted for 17,500 man- days lost, about half the total for the year. In February 1954 the management had cut wages by 25% on the grounds of poor business. This cut still left wages in the factory 5% above the average in the industry, but in February 1955 the Silk Weaving Workers' General Union demanded the restoration of the cut. Go slow and short strike tactics were used until the management locked out the 300 workers involved. Militant pickets stopped the passage of goods out of the factory and prevented new applicants for employment presenting themselves. Warnings by the Police that pickets' activities should be confined to peaceful persuasion were ignored, and the Police eventually had to resort to force to clear a way for workers to enter the factory. The strike collapsed with 100 new workers being taken on and 200 of the former staff resuming work.

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