ENG-1958 — Page 50

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

while political interests dominate labour in Hong Kong. Officers of the Labour Department have made, and continue to make, visits to factories to explain the advantages of joint consultation, and these are also stressed in press releases and talks. It is hoped that these methods will in time develop a proper appreciation of joint consultation not only amongst employers but also amongst workers.

Labour Disputes. One strike was in progress at the beginning of the year while three others occurred during 1958. Man-days lost totalled 6,999. This is less than for any year since the war, except 1952 when only 195 man-days were lost, and compares very favourably with a post-war average of approximately 81,400. The first strike was caused by an endeavour by the management to rectify poor production, while the second and third occurred after workers were dismissed for fighting. The fourth had no single clear-cut cause but resulted from the culmination of a number of matters on which the union involved had failed to obtain replies from the management which they regarded as satisfactory. The first two strikes were unsuccessful, the last two resulted in concessions being made by the managements.

H.M. Dockyard. The announcement in November 1957 that H.M. Dockyard would be closed down over a two-year period resulted in intense activity by the unions having members in the Yard, in particular by the left-wing Hong Kong Naval Dockyard Chinese Employees' Industrial Union. Demands were presented to the Dockyard authorities that they and the Hong Kong Govern- ment should accept responsibility for securing other employment for discharged workers, and not merely undertake to help them, and that no worker should be laid off until a job could be found for him; that the Dockyard authorities should award one year's severance pay to redundant workers over and above gratuities; and that gratuities should be calculated on the basis of four weeks' wages for each year of service. The Dockyard authorities offered a gratuity of two weeks' gross pay, including allowances, for each year of service. In support of these demands a number of short sit-down strikes and other demonstrations were staged in the Dockyard and visits were made by groups, organized by the left-wing union already mentioned, to Government House, various Government Departments and prominent local citizens. These