Catholic Church urges restraint as social workers vow to strike and Hong Kong’s biggest teachers’ union calls for protests against extradition bill
- Fifty social welfare and religious groups expected to take part in strike
- Catholic diocese asks all Christians to pray for the city
The Catholic diocese of Hong Kong on Tuesday joined the social welfare sector and the largest teachers’ union in voicing concerns about the government’s proposed extradition amendment, as the city braced for another showdown over the polarising bill.
“We are calling for a general strike in the social welfare sector tomorrow,” said Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, a lawmaker and strike organiser.
“We have been forced to take a stand on this moral question of right and wrong, and to stand up for our core values as social workers.”
We have been forced to take a stand on this moral question of right and wrong
The Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) on Tuesday called on its members to attend a protest rally at the Legislative Council the next day, after school hours. The union asked school managers to be “flexible” if teachers wanted to join the rally during the day.
Union president Fung Wai-wah said it would discuss with teachers the possibility of a strike, including the date, the duration and how to ensure student safety.