Hong Kong protests: labour rights advocates lament uncertain future 10 years after dockworkers’ strike
- Critics of current political climate say clampdown after 2019 social unrest led to demise of many unions in city, with little clout for cause left in legislature
- Comments follow exhibition marking 10th anniversary of 2013 dock demonstration that rocked city
Ten years after a strike by workers at a container port in Hong Kong, labour rights advocates have said they are still struggling to chart the way forward for their cause amid an uncertain political climate and a fear of crossing political red lines.
The comments followed an exhibition hosted at a Sham Shui Po restaurant, marking the 10th anniversary of the dock strike.
“There was a heavy downpour outside, and yet they were sitting out there protesting,” said university lecturer Leung Chi-yuen, 56, who viewed the exhibition, recounting the most memorable scene from the industrial action that rocked the city in 2013.
The strike, which spread from the container port in Kwai Chung to the heart of the financial hub, lasted 40 days. The bulk of the dockworkers’ demands, including a 20 per cent wage rise to make up for pay cuts in previous years, were later met.
“It mentioned that the strike was led by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. Without such organisations, it’s worrying what the future holds for union movements,” said Leung, who teaches subjects centred on community work.
The pro-democratic Confederation of Trade Unions dissolved in 2021, about a year after Hong Kong’s national security law came into effect. Some of its key members have left the city for Britain, including Stanley Ho Wai-hong, who was at the forefront of the 2013 strike as a coordinator.
