Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions
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Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions 香港職工會聯盟 | |
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Pan-democracy camp | |
Colours | Green |
Website | |
www | |
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions | |||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 香港職工會聯盟 | ||||||||
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The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) was a
Beliefs
The principles put forward by the HKCTU were "Solidarity, Rice Bowl, Justice and Democracy". The group focused on the rights and interests of workers, and the development of a democratic political system in Hong Kong. It called for the right to collective bargaining and protection against dismissals for involvement in trade union activities.
Besides calling for universal suffrage of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and LegCo, the group also supported the pro-democracy movement in mainland China, including the struggle for independent trade unions. It participated in a number of human rights and labour rights networks to oppose the suppression of labour movements in mainland China.
History
The HKCTU emerged from the
The HKCTU inherited the vanguard image and the more liberal sector in the territory's pluralistic union movement. It became a partner and an ally of the
In 1993, HKCTU supported a strike by its affiliate Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union (FAU). The strike, demanding a reduction of working hours from up to sixty-five hours per week and the reinstatement of three workers fired for refusing to work overtime, lasted for seventeen days and ended in victory.[3]
Days before transfer of sovereignty in 1997, with the support of the pro-democracy camp, the HKCTU successfully established statutory rights of
Members of HKCTU were involved in organising a number of local protests, including the pivotal
In the 1998 LegCo election, the group was represented by Lau Chin-shek (also a member of Democratic Party and The Frontier) and Lee Cheuk-yan (also a member of The Frontier) in the legislative council (LegCo). In 2012, the HKCTU co-founded the Labour Party.
In 2013, HKCTU supported a strike by its affiliate Union of Hong Kong Dockers. After a forty-day strike, the workers achieved a 9.8 percent pay rise, meal breaks and promises that there would be no retaliation against the strikers.[3]
HKCTU members voted to disband the union on October 3, 2021, following the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. At that time, co-founder and general secretary Lee Cheuk-yan was in jail for his involvement in the protests and chief executive Mung Siu Tat had announced on Facebook that he had left Hong Kong.[4] At least 29 Hong Kong trade unions had already been dissolved throughout 2021.[5]
Notable affiliates
- Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions
- Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union
- Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union
- Hong Kong Federation of Domestic Workers Unions
- Union of Hong Kong Dockers
Electoral performance
Legislative Council elections
Election | Number of popular votes |
% of popular votes |
GC seats |
FC seats |
EC seats |
Total seats | +/− | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 96,752 | 7.33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 / 60
|
0 | 5th |
2004 | 113,304 | 6.40 | 2 | 0 | 2 / 60
|
0 | 4th | |
2008 | 42,366 | 2.80 | 1 | 0 | 1 / 70
|
1 | — | |
2012 | Labour ticket | 0 | 0 | 0 / 70
|
0 | — | ||
2016 | Labour ticket | 0 | 0 | 0 / 70
|
0 | — |
District Council elections
Election | Number of popular votes |
% of popular votes |
Total elected seats |
+/− |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 4,032 | 0.38 | 2 / 400
|
2 |
2007 | 2,273 | 0.20 | 0 / 405
|
2 |
2011 | 4,044 | 0.34 | 0 / 412
|
0 |
See also
- 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
References
- ^ a b c Ng, Sek Hong (2010). Labour Law in Hong Kong. Kluwer Law International. pp. 227–228.
- ^ Cheng, Chris (4 December 2017). "Declassified: Hong Kong activists failed to broaden support after Tiananmen, governor said in 1989". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 5 December 2017. Governor David Wilson's report to HMG
- ^ a b Tim Pringle; Peng Pai (October 2021). "Hong Kong's Trade Unions Are Under Attack". The Jacobin.
- ^ Pak Yiu (19 September 2021). "Hong Kong opposition trade union group to disband". Reuters.
- ^ "Hong Kong trade union disbands as impact of security law deepens". Reuters. 3 October 2021.