Newsletter March 2023

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In this issue: ONLINE EXHIBITION: The 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong dockers’ strike | Solidarity with Elizabeth Tang | UN Committee on ESCR concluding observation

FEATURE | The 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Dockers’ Strike Online Exhibition

In March 2013, 500 sub-contracted dock workers went on a 40-day strike to fight for fair wages, fair hours and better working conditions. It was the longest strike in Hong Kong since the 1960s.

The dock workers took over the major traffic route in Hong Kong Kwai Chung Container Port, one of Asia’s busiest ports, and later the entrance to the company’s headquarters. Their action gained widespread popular support in Hong Kong and around the globe.

In this online exhibition, you will see a collection of pictures and illustrations of the 40-day strike. We look at the impact of the dockworkers’ strike and discuss its implications for today’s Hong Kong.



Visit the exhibition via the link below and learn more about this defining moment in Hong Kong’s independent union movement.

The Latest on Hong Kong Labour Rights

Stand with Elizabeth Tang

Elizabeth Tang, the General Secretary of the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) and the former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), was arrested by the Hong Kong national security police for alleged “foreign collusion” on 9 March. She was released on bail two days later, on 11 March.

Her arrest has drawn global attention and received solidarity messages from IDWF, UNI Global Union, IUF, BWI and more.

HK Labour Rights Newsflash

  • More police operations targeting trade unionists 
    Read more here >
  • Two men arrested for owning children’s books published by a speech therapists union 
    Read more here >
  • Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association called off the IWD march amid arrest threats 
    Read more here >

International Advocacy

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluding observation on Hong Kong

The UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR) published its concluding observation on Hong Kong’s implementation of the ESCR this month.

The committee raised concerns over the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary, trade union rights, and human rights defenders and lawyers working on human rights.

The committee said the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law has de facto abolished the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary and called on the Hong Kong authorities to abolish the national security hotline as it poses detrimental effect on civil society organisation and trade unions’ work.

A visit to France

This month, our Executive Director Christopher Mung travelled to France to visit Force Ouvrière (FO) and met members from their health workers’ unions, social welfare unions and regional offices. The solidarity shown by FO and its members was a powerful motivation for us to carry on our work at the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor.

Mung was also invited to the annual solidarity banquet organised by the French activist group Commission Enquête Chine. The group was set up after the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989. Three decades on, the group has been an unwavering ally to the labour activists in China and Hong Kong. It was genuinely heart-warming to see the group publish this 114-page book (below) documenting HKCTU’s history in French!

March has been eventful and filled with solidarity for us at HKLRM! Thank you all for your support. Your kind words and encouragement have truly been motivating and helped us stay strong.

Lastly, we’d appreciate it if you could share this email with your network. This would help us reach a wider audience and increase awareness of #HKLabourRights on the ground. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more updates.

Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor

2023年3月電子通訊

4 mins read

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今期內容﹕
【網上展覽】碼頭工潮十周年 | 各地工會聲援鄧燕娥 | 聯合國經社文委員會審議香港報告出爐

專題 | 碼頭工潮十周年網上展覽

2013年三月,500多名碼頭工人發動一場歷時40日的罷工,爭取加薪及改善工作環境,先後佔領了碼頭交通要道,以及碼頭母公司長和系集團總部門口,並得到不同社運團體、學生,以及海外工會聲援。碼頭工潮是自1960年代以來,香港最大規模的工潮抗爭。

我們把罷工40天的珍貴相片以及漫畫,結集成碼頭工潮十周年網上展覽, 在回顧昔日工潮之際,同時探討碼頭工潮對今天香港的意義。你可以透過以下連結參觀網上展覽,了解更多有關這場香港自主工運史上的重要一頁

香港勞權最新狀況

聲援鄧燕娥

國際家務工聯會秘書長、前香港職工會聯盟總幹事鄧燕娥3月9日在香港被國安人員以涉嫌干犯「勾結外國或者境外勢力危害國家安全罪」帶走。經兩日通宵扣查後,於3月11日獲准以20萬現金保釋候查,另須交出旅遊證件。

鄧燕娥被捕引起世界各地工會關注及聲援,包括國際家務工聯會、全球工會聯盟 (UNI Global Union)、國際建築林木業工會聯盟等。

香港勞權新聞快訊

國際倡議

聯合國經社文委員會發表香港審議結論

聯合國經濟、社會及文化權利委員會(委員會)本月就香港政府實施《經濟、社會及文化權利國際公約》的狀況發表審議結論,報告關注香港司法獨立、工會權利、及人權捍衛者的狀況。 

委員會在報告中指,港區國安法實施後,實際上(de facto)廢除了香港司法獨立,香港的司法獨立名存實亡,而國安法舉報熱線則危害(detrimental)公民社會及工會運作。委員會又關注到公民社會人士及人權捍衛者遭到不符正當程序的拘捕、拘留及審訊。 

法國工運之旅

香港勞權監察總幹事蒙兆達本月先後走訪了法國工會聯盟「工人力量」(Force Ouvrière,簡稱FO)旗下的醫護、社會福利及地區工會等不同部門,獲他們聲援香港在囚工運人士。 

此外,蒙兆達又獲法國民間組織「中國調查委員會」(Commission Enquête Chine)的邀請,前往巴黎出席他們一年一度的團結晚宴(Solidarity Banquet)發表演講。中國調查委員會於六四鎮壓之後成立。中國八九民運曾牽動眾多法國工運人士參與聲援,他們其後成立團體,延續對中國民運的支持,包括支援了不少流亡到法國的中國工運及民運人士,組織今年更以法文出版了一本關於職工盟歷史的書籍,全書共114頁(下圖)。

以上是我們過去一個月的工作。歡迎你轉發這封電子通訊,讓更多人知道香港勞權最新動態。 

最後,記得追蹤我們的Twitter,Instagram和 Facebook,緊貼我們的最新工作。謝謝! 

香港勞權監察