British Troops Against Trade Unions

‘The Times' 2nd August contained a report from David Bonavia, Hongkong, that 117 people were arrested when Hongkong police assisted by British troops raided seven sets of premises occupied by a Chinese labour union, the Government, Armed Forces and Hospitals Chinese Workers' Association. It was alleged that their premises were used for the manufacture of homemade weapons, Police were said to have found tins with cotton wadding and fuses which could have made up bombs, Such reports have been frequent;in the past few weeks, In many cases no attempt has been made to disguise the fact that the sole aim has been the destruction of 'propaganda' (i.e, leaflets and posters etc.). Such actions and allegations are all too reminiscent of the methods used by British government's of the nineteenth century against Reform agitators, Chartists and Trade Unionists. ven Lord Rhodes, ex- Secretary of State at the Board of Trade was moved to protest publicly last week at the backward state of industrial relations and particularly at the low wages prevalent in the colony, The British Labour Movement should protest most strongly at Wilson's government taking up this blatantly antilabour stance in Hongkong.