13
3.
UNCLASSIFIED
HONGKONG
215353/21
TRADITIONALLY, HONG KONG'S LABOR MOVEMENT HAS BEEN SPLIT BETWEEN THE PRO-BEIJING 170,000-STRONG FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (FTU) AND THE PRO-TAIWAN 30,000 TRONG TRADE UNION COUNCIL (TUC). IN ADDITION, THE FTU'S APPROACH TO LABOR ISSUES WAS CHARACTERISED BY A COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE WITH MANAGEMENT. FOR ITS PART. THE TUC ADOPTED A PASSIVF APPROACH DUE TO ITS AGING LEADERSHIP AND DECLINING MEMBERSHIP, RESULTING FROM JOB MOBILITY AND ITS AFFILIATION WITH THE TAIWAN AUTHORITIES. THESE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCAL LABOR MOVEMENT PREVENTED THE EMERGENCE OF A COHESIVE, ARTICULATE AND WELL-ORGANIZED LABOR FORCE SEEKING TO PROMOTE THE INTERESTS OF WORKERS.
4.
IN AUGUST THIS YEAR, A GROUP CF 25 INDEPENDENT UNIONS. COMPRISING ABOUT 97,000 MEMBERS, BAN DFD TOGETHER TO SET UP THE CTU IN A BID TO FORM AN INDEPENDENT LABOR BODY THAT WOULD FUNCTION AS A MORE AGGRESSIVE ADVOCATE OF WORKERS' RIGHTS. IN COMPARISON WITH THE FTU AND TUC, THE CTU DIFFERS STRIKINGLY IN TERMS OF SOCIAL COMPOSITION AND EMPHASES. THE TWO TRADITIONAL LABOR FEDERATIONS ARE MAINLY MADE UP OF MANUAL WORKERS AND THE LOW LEVEL STRATUM IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR, SUCH AS CLERKS AND SFCRETARIES. THE CTU, HOWEVER, EMBRACES EMPLOYFES ACROSS A MUCH WIDER SPECTRUM OF OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS. ITS MEMBERSHIP NOT ONLY INCLUDES WORKERS SERVING IN A VARIETY OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCIAL SECTOR, BUT ALSO INCLUDES CIVIL SERVANTS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND TEACHERS. THE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND TEACHERS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CTU LEADERS AND THE 500-MEMBER HONG KONG SOCIAL WORKERS GENERAL UNION AND THE 41,000-STRONG PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS UNION..
5. HEADED BY A NUMBER OF VETERAN UNIONISTS, THE CTU HAS BROADENED THE METHODS OF INDUSTRIAL ACTIONS BY USING A COMBINATION OF WORK-TO-RULE, SIT-IN AND HUNGER STRIKE TACTICS. THROUGH A SKILLFUL INCORPORATION OF COOPERATION AND COLLECTIVE
BT
#5353
NNNN
13
UNCLASSIFIED HONGKONG 215353/01