7th April 2024 – (Hong Kong) The Labour and Welfare Bureau has announced its plans to revise the Trade Unions Ordinance with the aim of enhancing the statutory powers of the Registrar of Trade Unions in overseeing and managing unions. This move comes in response to the surge in new unions formed during the 2019 anti-extradition bill protests. However, as the authorities intensified the enforcement of the Trade Unions Ordinance, such as amending the “Application for Trade Union Registration” to require founders to sign a declaration confirming the lawful purpose and objectives of the union, as well as a commitment to refrain from engaging in activities that may endanger national security or violate the law, the number of new registered unions has decreased by 95% over the past three years. Last year, only 25 new unions were established, while 43 unions were dissolved, indicating that the dissolution rate was nearly twice as high as the establishment rate in the past year alone. In total, 219 unions have disappeared over the past three years. As the upcoming International Workers’ Day approaches, concerns have been raised regarding the decline in the number of unions and whether it is related to the curtailment of labour rights and the failure of unions to safeguard workers’ interests.
According to the latest figures from the Labour Department’s Registrar of Trade Unions, the number of new registrations has continued to decline for three consecutive years. In 2023, only 25 new unions were established, a decrease of 37.5% compared to the 40 unions established in 2022, and a significant drop of 95% from the 495 unions established in 2020. Last year, 43 trade unions were struck off the registry, including those that dissolved voluntarily or requested cancellation of their registration. In 2022, there were 113 unions dissolved, and in 2021, there were 63. In total, 219 unions have disappeared over the past three years, further reducing the number of registered trade unions.
As of the end of December 2023, there were 1,436 unions in Hong Kong, 91 fewer than in 2021, representing a decline of 6%. At the end of last year, 194 unions reported affiliations with left-leaning pro-Beijing union, the Federation of Trade Unions, a figure that has remained relatively stable in recent years. On the other hand, the number of unions reporting affiliations with another pro-establishment union, the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (FTU), increased significantly from 94 in 2019 to 148. This marks a substantial 57% rise.
In previous years, various labour organisations have traditionally organised rallies and marches on 1st May to advocate for workers’ rights. However, since the outbreak of the pandemic, no 1st May rallies have taken place. The FTU and the Confederation of Trade Unions, both of which have organised May 1st marches in the past, have recently announced their decision not to hold marches again this year. The FTU expressed concerns that holding a march may divert attention from important social issues or even be hijacked, and instead, they plan to express their demands through forums and petitioning the government headquarters. The Confederation of Trade Unions stated that they intend to voice their concerns for workers through a “new form” of activity, without disclosing further details but mentioning that the execution details are yet to be finalized.
With the decrease in the number of unions, some have raised concerns that the curtailment of labour rights has limited avenues for workers to voice their concerns and protect their interests. Lam Chun-sing, a member of the Legislative Council and chairman of the FTU, believes that a march is just one method of expressing opinions and that the formation of unions does not necessarily equate to organising a march. He emphasized that unions should strive to represent employee interests through various means, and even suggested that organising activities with the support of unions offers a certain level of protection for workers.