Labour Movement

Cathay Pacific flight attendants hold Hong Kong airport sit-in to protest airline's treatment

  Associated Press  MAY 19, 2015 — 9:50AM HONG KONG — Several hundred Cathay Pacific flight attendants were camped inside Hong Kong's airport on Tuesday after union members voted to protest new job contracts offered by the airline. Union member Ada So said about 400 cabin staff had gathered in front of the Cathay check-in desks. She said more than 600 union members cast votes, with most in favor of taking job action. They said they are protesting a cut to some cabin crew allowances, pay discrepancies for recently hired junior staff and a loss of legal support for workers involved in court cases such as civil action stemming from a passenger assault.

Erwiana – stop treating us like slaves

 11.02.2015 - Pressenza Hong Kong Press Release from Erwiana Sulistyaningsih forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Erwiana Sulistyaningsih’s February 10th Speech 10th February, 2015, Hong Kong SAR: I am happy that I won my case and the justice for me and other victims is finally upheld. I would like to thank Riyanthi for helping me at the airport and make my abused case known to the public, the Justice Committee for Erwiana and Al Migrant Domestic Workers and the Mission for Migrant Workers of St John’s Cathedral and also other good hearted people of HK like the Sen Lok Christian Church who tirelessly supported and assisted me and my fellow friends to ensure that justice is delivered. Also my appreciation to the investigation and prosecution team of Kwung Tong Police Station and honourable judge Amanda Woodcock who have been working hard to handling my case. I also thank my fellow migrant workers in Hong Kong and the world, the Hong Kong people and the international community who have been supporting me all throughout this trial. Without your support and pressure, the Hong Kong and Indonesian governments might not respond to my case at all.

An Open Letter from over 1300 Civil Servants in HK

The following open letter to HK people is signed by at least 1314 civil servants from 65 Departments: "On 20 Oct 2014, the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union & Government Employees Association (The Unions hereafter) issued a joint letter to condemn the Occupy Central as a movement initiated by politicians to stir conflict and put the wellbeing of Hong Kong at stake in exchange for political capital. As part of the civil servant team, we solemnly declare that the open letter of The Unions does not represent us.  Those who have been paying attention to the Occupy Central movement or the development of the Umbrella Revolution should probably know that traditional role of politicians has been marginalised in the movement and they are not capable of altering its development or direction. Based on the protest in Admiralty on Sep 28 and the Occupy Causeway Bay and Mong Kok on the same day, no single politician or pro-democracy party can rally such a movement. If The Unions was willing to visit the three occupation sites and interact with protesters, who are still stationing there at the moment, before issuing the letter, they might want to change their mind.

Why Hong Kong workers cannot be absent from the umbrella revolution.

This article by Labour Vision Taiwan looks at the Hong Kong democracy movement from an observer’s point of view. The article discusses the background to the Hong Kong movement and relates the struggle for universal suffrage in Hong Kong to the situation in Taiwan, which despite having universal suffrage continues to pass legislation which is not in the interest of the working class.  The article also addresses the role that Hong Kong’s working class has played in the Umbrella Movement and argues that we can learn from the current Hong Kong struggle that the labour and the democracy movement are inseparable.

HKCTU Calls on Workers to Participate in General Strike

HKCTU HKCTU strongly condemns the police crackdown of people’s protest by Hong Kong government Calling all workers in Hong Kong to participate in a general strike on September 29 Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions(HKCTU) strongly condemns the police for their violent attack on unarmed students and people. We strongly condemn the government for suppressing the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly in Hong Kong. HKCTU calls for all workers in Hong Kong to strike tomorrow, in protest of the ruling of the National People’s Congress, as well as the brutal suppression of peaceful protest by the Hong Kong government. Workers and students must unite to force the totalitarian government to hand state power back to the people.

Lifeguards hold waterfront demonstration

      09-09-2014 RTHK Hundreds of lifeguards have been demonstrating both in, and along the shoreline of, Victoria Harbour as part of a one-day strike over pay and conditions. Their action led to the closure of at least nine pools, and there are no lifesavers at many of Hong Kong's beaches. More than 100 lifeguards swam along the Tsim Sha Tsui coastline, and more than 300 marched along the tourist hotspot, the Avenue of Stars. The lifeguards are unhappy with manpower levels. They also feel underpaid and that the government doesn't treat them as professionals. Many frequently leave the job to join the disciplined services. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has expressed regret over the strike, and it apologised to swimmers. It said it'll continue its talks with unions to seek a consensus.

Macau casino dealers take industrial action for first time

 The Japan Times HONG KONG – Casino dealers working in one of the most popular casinos in the gambling hub of Macau started industrial action on Saturday for the first time in the Chinese territory as discontent over salaries and working benefits spreads. More than 1,000 dealers working for SJM Holdings, the gaming company run by the family of former Macau king pin Stanley Ho, showed up late for their shift at the flagship Grand Lisboa casino while others have pledged not to work any overtime, a union leader told Reuters.

Listen Up Now! Demand Lionsgate to start constructive dialogues with musicians now!

 18 July 2014, Hong Kong Today (18 July 2014), SACOM and other local labour groups in Hong Kong answer the call from The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) to launch an international solidarity action to demand Lionsgate to start constructive dialogues with musicians now. Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (hereinafter Lionsgate) has produced famous blockbusters like The Hunger Games and The Step Up series. In 2013 alone, its profit reached US$2.7 billion (HK$20.9 billion approx.). This huge profit was brought by the tremendous tax credit of US$96 million from US taxpayers! However, backstage production crew is not getting any benefit from it at all.

A demonstration against six major chambers of commerce in jointly obstructing Guangdong province’s collective negotiation

  HKCTU Today (6 June 2014), Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and Hong Kong Labor Organizations stage a demonstration at the Annual General Meeting of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce to protest against Hong Kong business groups regarding on the Regulations of Guangdong Province on the Collective Contracts of Enterprises (the “Revised Draft”). The business groups have been continuously opposed the enactment of the “Revised Draft” and trampled the basic labor rights of Chinese workers. We urge them to change mind immediately and support the “Revised Draft” in the light of achieving a healthy relationship among workers and employers. HKCTU teased Hong Kong business groups suffering phobia and are very resistant to collective negotiation. The representative of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce initially refused to accept the letter, and left with a bad temper. Protest in progress around an hour after, Malcolm Ainsworth, the Assistant Director of the Chamber eventually come out and accepted the letter. CTU requested to meet the six chambers of commerce, Malcolm Ainsworth promised to respond within a week. Enclosed please find the statement of the labour groups.

Petition: Understand Agency Problems, Stop Choking the Rights of Domestic Workers

Join our petition. Sign below to let more people know, we demand justice, we don't want to turn Hong Kong into the hell of migrant domestic workers. Hong Kong people must not be misled by myths propagated by the Liberal Party. We are local support groups and individuals advocating on behalf of migrant domestic workers’ rights. Today we issue this joint statement to call for better understanding on issues of migrant domestic workers. The “Liberal Party Concern Group on Foreign Domestic Helpers” and “Support Group for Hong Kong Employers with Foreign Domestic Helper” is organizing a protest today. They demand Hong Kong government allow employers to have the rights of immediate dismissal of migrant domestic workers. This violates the principle of equality and the spirit of the rule of law. They also commonly discriminate based on race and sex discrimination. They are ignoring the true cause of the problem and violating basic principles of labour law.
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