Workers denounce increased security

On 16 January the China Labour Bulletin and the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions issued a press release opposing the government’s proposals for even tighter security laws in Hong Kong
In opposition to the proposed ‘anti-subversion’ laws, over 1000 individual trade unionists from more than 70 trade unions all over the world have sent emails to HKSAR Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa, expressing their concern about the imminent threat to political and civil rights in Hong Kong, and the implication on the defence of workers’ rights in mainland China.

An online protest campaign at http://www.labourstart.org/actnow/20021227.shtml was jointly launched on 3 January by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), China Labour Bulletin (CLB) and prominent labour Web site, LabourStart. The joint campaign calls on the international trade union community to stand with the workers in Hong Kong in ‘defence of the right to organise, protest, and campaign for better working conditions and human rights’.

In submissions to the government on enacting Article 23 of the Basic Law, both HKCTU and CLB expressed grave concern that the proposed laws would undermine workers’ collective actions to protect labour and trade union organisation. CLB has also compiled hard evidence in mainland China where workers and labour activists are imprisoned on subversion charges simply for exercising the core workers’ rights of free association and collective bargaining. CLB has also pointed out possible ‘legal’ restrictions on our activities in promoting an independent trade union movement in China.

Subversion charges against Liaoyang labour activists Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang are sharp reminders of what the Chinese government sees as ‘protecting national security’ which is used as the justification for enacting new anti-subversion laws in Hong Kong.

Disregarding opponents of the proposed ‘anti-subversion’ laws who took to the streets in tens of thousands on 15 December 2002, the Hong Kong security chief attempted to discredit the opposition as misled and irrational. On the contrary, the opponents are asking the obvious and legitimate question - “Whose security is being protected?”

In an E-mail a protestor from Australia remarked to Tung Chee Hwa, “Only fearful governments implement repressive legislation to inhibit the rights of its citizens. What is your government frightened of?”
CLB and the HKCTU refuse to be intimidated into silence, appealing instead to the international trade union community to join the workers in Hong Kong and mainland China to defend political and civil rights.

PCCW sacks hundreds more

Almost 1,900 workers at telecommunications giant, PCCW, have been sacked during ‘restructuring’ in 2002. About a quarter of the staff have been sacked since Richard Li Tzar-kai took over the firm in August 2000.
The latest wave of dismissals consists of 529 workers.
The news was announced one day after PCCW revealed a plan to reduce pay by 10 percent in its new subsidiary, Cascade, affecting 3,000 workers at the company.
The company claimed the latest wave of dismissals was the end of ‘realignment exercises’ – more HRM NewSpeak meaning imposed flexibility and mass redundancies.

Workers try the courts

In response to the government’s intention to increase legal working hours for night shift ferry staff, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Guild filed a writ in the High Court to challenge the attack on working conditions in December.

Employer jailed for raping domestic worker

A laboratory assistant was jailed on 21 November 2002 for one count of indecent assault and of raping his domestic worker on 12 January.
He was acquitted of one further charge of rape and two charges of indecent assault.
The domestic worker alleged the employer first attacked and molested her in September 2001 when his wife and child were away from home, but did not report the incident to the police.
The guilty charge was on the occasion where the employer’s wife interrupted the attack, but she tried to prevent the worker reporting the incident to police.
The judge said the employer, who was not named to avoid identification of the domestic worker, had treated her as his ‘personal possession’ and had taken advantage of her isolation.
Migrant worker groups assert that isolated cases like this one are just the tip of an iceberg of abuse – most domestic workers being afraid to report to the police for fear of losing their jobs and hence the right to stay in Hong Kong, on account of legislation that discriminates against poor migrant workers in Hong Kong.

From South China Morning Post, 22 November 2002