Government launches inquiry as Sing Pao Daily strikers stay out

Troubles have worsened for the embattled Sing Pao Daily News with a threat of legal action by the government if its owners do not settle staff's unpaid wages soon.

The Labour Department expressed concern over the dispute at the newspaper, where journalists went on strike on Saturday. A spokeswoman said an investigation into the matter had begun. She could not rule out the possibility of the department prosecuting the employer if there was sufficient evidence that staff had not been paid.

Assistant editor Kwok Yin-ling, one of the 23 journalists on strike, said the group had decided to continue their action today, the 67th anniversary of the newspaper's first publication date. Kwok said she and her colleagues would not rule out resigning if the management did not provide them and the rest of the newspaper's about 300 staff members with a date by which they would pay their wages.

'We feel the management lacks sincerity and responsibility. Until now, no one from the management has contacted us,' Kwok said.

Staff at the Chinese-language daily say that they have not been paid for almost two months and are owed a few million dollars in back pay.

Acting editor-in-chief Poon Hei-chung promised the strike would not disrupt production of the newspaper. 'Nearly 1,000 workers and their families depend on the regular operation of Sing Pao, so I will try my best to keep it running.'

Nearly half the news department's editorial staff - including reporters, photographers and a senior editor - called in sick yesterday for a second consecutive day. Poon, who had moved reporters from other sections to cover for the strikers, said he had worked around the clock over the past two days.