The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) was a pro-democracy labour and political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 29 July 1990. It had 160,000 members in 61 affiliates (mainly trade unions in various sectors) and representation in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) to challenge government policies and push for legal protection of worker and trade union rights. It was one of the two most influential labour groups in Hong Kong, with the other one being the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.
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.
Historyedit
Training Centre in Ma On ShanHKCTU members voted to disband the union on October 3, 2021
The HKCTU emerged from the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee (HKCIC), a church-sponsored labour organisation largely involved in the grassroots movements in the 1970s and 1980s.[1][2] The Confederation was established in 1990 under the leadership of independent labour leader Lau Chin-shek. It was largely as a coalition of the independent and politically unaffiliated union organisations, most of which were new white-collar unions organising the civil service and professional or service employees in the public and subvented sectors, including the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union and the Hong Kong Social Workers General Union.[1]
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 pro-democracy camp and the Democratic Party,[1] in which Lau was the founding member. Lau Chin-shek won a seat in the 1991 LegCo direct election and Lee Cheuk-yan, the general secretary of the HKCTU, also won a seat in the 1995 LegCo election.
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 collective bargaining of labour unions, which mandate employers to negotiate with labour unions on issues such as salaries, welfare and working hours, by introducing the Employee's Rights to Representation, Consultation and Collective Bargaining Bill as Lee Cheuk-yan's private member's bill. But the laws were soon abolished by the pro-Beijing appointed Provisional Legislative Council shortly after the transfer of sovereignty.
Members of HKCTU were involved in organising a number of local protests, including the pivotal 2003 July 1 march to oppose the enactment of anti-sedition laws under Article 23 of the Basic Law (organised by the Civil Human Rights Front of which HKCTU is a member), and other protests to struggle for labour rights and democracy in Hong Kong and in mainland China.
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]
^ abcNg, 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
^ abTim 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.
External linksedit
Web site of The HKCTU
January 01, 1970
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Not to be confused with the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions HKCTU was a pro democracy labour and political group in the Hong Kong It was established on 29 July 1990 It had 160 000 members in 61 affiliates mainly trade unions in various sectors and representation in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong LegCo to challenge government policies and push for legal protection of worker and trade union rights It was one of the two most influential labour groups in Hong Kong with the other one being the pro Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions 香港職工會聯盟PresidentPun Tin chiChairpersonCarol NgGeneral SecretaryLee Cheuk yanFounded29 July 1990 1990 07 29 Dissolved3 October 2021 2021 10 03 Headquarters19 F Wing Wong Building 557 559 Nathan Road Kowloon Hong KongMembership160 000IdeologyLabourismLiberalism HK Social democracyPolitical positionCentre leftInternational affiliationITUCRegional affiliationPan democracy campColours GreenWebsitewww wbr hkctu wbr org wbr hkPolitics of Hong KongPolitical partiesElections Hong Kong Confederation of Trade UnionsTraditional Chinese香港職工會聯盟TranscriptionsYue CantoneseYale RomanizationHeunggong Jikgung Wuih LyuhnmahngJyutpingHoeng1gong2 Zik1gung1 Wui6 2 Lyun4mang4 Contents 1 Beliefs 2 History 3 Notable affiliates 4 Electoral performance 4 1 Legislative Council elections 4 2 District Council elections 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBeliefs editThe 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 edit nbsp Training Centre in Ma On Shan nbsp HKCTU members voted to disband the union on October 3 2021 The HKCTU emerged from the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee HKCIC a church sponsored labour organisation largely involved in the grassroots movements in the 1970s and 1980s 1 2 The Confederation was established in 1990 under the leadership of independent labour leader Lau Chin shek It was largely as a coalition of the independent and politically unaffiliated union organisations most of which were new white collar unions organising the civil service and professional or service employees in the public and subvented sectors including the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union and the Hong Kong Social Workers General Union 1 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 pro democracy camp and the Democratic Party 1 in which Lau was the founding member Lau Chin shek won a seat in the 1991 LegCo direct election and Lee Cheuk yan the general secretary of the HKCTU also won a seat in the 1995 LegCo election 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 collective bargaining of labour unions which mandate employers to negotiate with labour unions on issues such as salaries welfare and working hours by introducing the Employee s Rights to Representation Consultation and Collective Bargaining Bill as Lee Cheuk yan s private member s bill But the laws were soon abolished by the pro Beijing appointed Provisional Legislative Council shortly after the transfer of sovereignty Members of HKCTU were involved in organising a number of local protests including the pivotal 2003 July 1 march to oppose the enactment of anti sedition laws under Article 23 of the Basic Law organised by the Civil Human Rights Front of which HKCTU is a member and other protests to struggle for labour rights and democracy in Hong Kong and in mainland China 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 editFederation 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 DockersElectoral performance editLegislative Council elections edit Election Number ofpopular votes ofpopular votes GCseats FCseats ECseats Total seats Position 2000 96 752 nbsp 7 33 nbsp 2 0 0 2 60 0 nbsp 5th nbsp 2004 113 304 nbsp 6 40 nbsp 2 0 2 60 0 nbsp 4th nbsp 2008 42 366 nbsp 2 80 nbsp 1 0 1 70 1 nbsp 2012 Labour ticket 0 0 0 70 0 nbsp 2016 Labour ticket 0 0 0 70 0 nbsp District Council elections edit Election Number ofpopular votes ofpopular votes Totalelected seats 2003 4 032 nbsp 0 38 nbsp 2 400 2 nbsp 2007 2 273 nbsp 0 20 nbsp 0 405 2 nbsp 2011 4 044 nbsp 0 34 nbsp 0 412 0 nbsp See also edit nbsp Organised labour portal 2019 20 Hong Kong protestsReferences edit 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 External links editWeb site of The HKCTU Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions amp oldid 1105578404, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
