Hong Kong

The factory was under contract to French company, Bachy Soletanche.

The incident spotlights government reluctance to make companies protect safety and health at work. There is no regulation for handling and storage of dangerous materials; official inspections are for show.

The factory was refused a licence to store oxygen and acetylene in October 1999 due to sub-standard conditions. But factory management regarding this as no hindrance to production, simply continued with no licence. Officials do not know whether to prosecute the owners.

This factory in Yuen Long keeps acetylene cylinders unsafely because it is “more convenient to put the materials needed together even though they are highly inflammable,” reported injured casual worker, Suen Kwong-chuen. Acetylene is a highly explosive gas used in welding.

Although nearby homes were not damaged by the blast, they were certainly under threat. This is the third fatal gas explosion in as many months.

It is high time the authorities began to tackle this deadly shortcoming.

The management at these firms considers this method of staff communication appropriate treatment for workers, most of who had worked for the companies for between two to three years.

Four outlets run by Wendy’s, the US fast food transnational, and a daughter company, Hartz Chicken, closed in Hong Kong on 3 January. Denny’s bakery closed for business on 4 January.

The companies owed 40 days’ wages. Wendy’s and Hartz Chicken owed staff about HK$3 million, while Denny’s owed staff at least HK$6 million

Spokespersons for the sacked staff entered preliminary negotiations with management, also attended by Labour Department officials.

Acting jointly under the Alliance of Housing Department Staff Unions, the various unions targeted by the government’s assault have rejected the redundancy proposals.

Lam Man-cheuk, the Alliance convenor, said, “The Alliance rejects the government’s package of proposals, because most staff wish to remain government employees.”

Wong Shing-wah, the government’s Housing Secretary stated that if the unions reject the proposals, compulsory redundancies would follow.

Mr Lam believes that redundancy offers will be attractive to older workers, but the vast majority of workers wish to retain their jobs. The Alliance has no objections to voluntary early retirement, but will fight compulsory redundancies.

Alliance members will simply refuse to co-operate with privatisation plans by implementing a boycott on such work, and will not deal with the Private Management Agencies which the government has suggested should replace the civil service departments.

Chicco, the Italian multinational company which contracted the factory to produce toys for them, has been dragging its feet over compensation for more than six years.