ENG-1962 — Page 75

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EMPLOYMENT

affiliations, a number have made encouraging improvements to their internal administration and in the services offered to their members.

A successful series of classes organized by the Labour Depart- ment for officers of the trade union movement was continued throughout 1962. Five courses on trade union administration were held and were attended by 155 representatives from 48 unions. Other activities included three courses on trade union accounting, a series of lectures on safety in industry, and a series of advanced classes on trade union accounting for officers who are directly concerned with the financial administration of trade unions. Four meetings were arranged to allow women officers of trade unions to discuss their mutual problems. A booklet, Trade Union Guide to the Preparation of Collective Agreements, was published.

When the Trade Union Registration Ordinance, 1961, came into effect on 1st April 1962, all registered trade unions had to revise their rules to conform with the provisions of the ordinance and the Labour Department assisted 143 to do this.

Labour disputes. Despite some dislocation caused by the restric- tion on certain textile exports to the United States, which-caused some mills to curtail operations and one to close down, the in- dustrial year was a quiet one. There were no serious strikes and the number of man-days lost in disputes was only 11,831 up to the end of the year. (This compared with 29,000 in 1961 and 54,062 in 1960). Of these, 7,000 were caused by a strike of casual workers employed by a leading utility company. During the year 226 large wage claims and 2,132 minor disputes were dealt with by the Labour Department. For the second successive year there were no disputes over payment of the customary gratuities at Chinese New Year.

Up to 30th June 1962, a further 123 workers were discharged as redundant from Service establishments. As the phased run-down of these establishments reached its final stages the employment liaison office, a temporary organization originally set up in November 1957 to help redundant workers find other employment, ceased to register those discharged. However, the office continued to help those registered before July 1 who remained unemployed. Until they are working again registered redundant workers are given relief rations by the Social Welfare Department and an

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