Financial secretary admits job-creation efforts have failed, but promises nothing
Unionists from the pro-Beijing camp yesterday told the financial secretary that working-class people were angry they had been unable to benefit from Hong Kong's economic recovery.
In a meeting with leaders of the Federation of Trade Unions to gauge their views on next month's budget, Henry Tang Ying-yen was bombarded with demands to improve the lives of the working class in view of the improved economy.
He admitted that efforts to create more jobs had failed to catch up with the jobless rate, but fell short of offering an immediate solution to address the concerns of the unionists.
During the meeting, federation chairman and executive councillor Cheng Yiu-tong said: 'The economy has now improved and it is time to share the fruits of the economic recovery with the workers.'
Choi Chun-wa, chairman of the Construction Industry Employees General Union, said discontent had been simmering in his trade for the past few years as up to 20 per cent of the jobless were from the construction sector.
'They are really very angry because they have no work ... we want social harmony, but it has to be built on top of a fair distribution of wealth,' he said.
