ENG-1956 — Page 56

OCCUPATIONS, WAGES AND LABOUR ORGANIZATION

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There were fluctuations in employment in various indus- tries, but reduced employment in any particular field was offset by increased employment in another. Changes of this kind do not necessarily imply any lengthy period of un- employment for individual workers, since the majority of semi-skilled and unskilled workers are adaptable and are capable of turning their hands, for example, from weaving or garment-making to assembly work in a metalware factory or gumming in a rubber shoe factory.

Migration for employment in other territories continues, unfortunately, to take place on a small scale, owing to immigration restrictions based on unwillingness to accept Chinese as permanent settlers. During the year a small number of workers left permanently to join relatives in the United States, Canada, South America, the Philippines and Malaya. Employment contracts rose to 2,201, compared with 1,717 in the previous year. Skilled workmen from the Colony are much in demand in the Brunei oilfields and in government construction works in Brunei and elsewhere. Local textile and enamelware factories sent skilled hands to develop connected enterprises in Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, the Philippines and Argentina.

WAGES AND CONDITIONS

Wages. After the announcement in May of pay increases for industrial workers in the Royal Naval Dockyard, as well as in the other two Services, the managements of the Taikoo and Hong Kong and Whampoa Dockyards announced with effect from 1st July an overall wage increase of from 15% to 20%. Similar increases were also made in certain other European-operated industrial establishments, whilst Govern- ment daily-rated workers were granted increases in July as follows:-9 cents per hour in basic rates for skilled artisans and 6 cents per hour for apprentices, with intermediate rates for the other grades.