Road to 5**﹕Trade unions in Hong Kong
【明報專訊】◆Source A
Walk out or not？
Troublemaker !
Cartoon by 尊子, published in Ming Pao on 2018.03.07
◆Source B
Yip Wai-lam, a KMB driver who on 24 February 2018 staged a walk-out to fight for better rights for KMB employees, was notified of the termination of employment on 6 March alongside her husband and two other drivers, who all participated in the strike. The termination came into effect on 7 March.
The Labour Department said it would contact the people concerned, and would initiate prosecutions if there was evidence that labour laws had been violated.
A spokesperson of the KMB said that several of its employees had seriously violated the regulations when they were on duty. They walked out of their buses without permission, posing a threat to passengers' and other road users' safety. The KMB thus decided to terminate the contracts of the four drivers.
In April 2018, the KMB reviewed the decision and reinstated Yip and the other three drivers. But it vowed to take it seriously if behaviour that threatened safety on the road happened again.
Source: Ming Pao
■Questions and answering guidelines
1. What are the factors that determine the power of a trade union?
Support from employees and to what extent their action is concerted
The power of a trade union comes from support from its members. If a trade union has a large membership and most of its members heed its call for action, it has more bargaining power and is able to put pressure on employers (by, for example, threatening to inflict economic losses on employers by staging a strike). This might make employers listen to the views of employees when they negotiate. Only then can a trade union achieve its aims.
How supportive and concerned the general public is
If the action of a trade union is supported by the public and the public is concerned about it, the public is willing to act accordingly (by, for example, taking part in the boycott of the product), and the media focuses on the stance of the trade union (thus creating pressure on the employer), it is more likely for the employer to respond, negotiate or accept the demands of the trade union.
2. To what extent is political participation at regional level beneficial to people's living standards?
◆Beneficial
Helping a region develop in a way that goes with people's interests and expectations
Such participation reflects the demands of some stakeholders and the problems they are faced with. Through such participation, it is possible for employers and the government to understand their demands and difficult situations and change their policies or approaches.
Enhancing the livelihood of some citizens
Through social political participation, the public gets to understand the difficulties facing some stakeholders, such as the inadequacy of government policies and suppression by the rich and powerful. This can encourage the public to offer help to the stakeholders and enhance their lives. For example, a clash between a hawker (or a scavenger) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department can galvanise citizens into supporting the suppressed.
◆Not beneficial
Affecting the daily lives of ordinary citizens
Actions often taken, including strikes and a work-to-rule, disrupt people's daily lives.
Social dissatisfaction
Other citizens might not approve of actions taken by protesters, and this might cause social dissatisfaction.
Text: 劉俊偉, Liberal Studies teacher at Po Leung Kuk Yao Ling Sun College
Translation: Terence Yip
[通通識 第550期]
