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SCMP Reporter

Social workers renewed their threat of a  strike yesterday after claiming initial success in their campaign against the so-called lump-sum grant system.
A coalition of social workers' unions and concern groups  is collecting signatures from  their colleagues in the welfare sector.
Peter Cheung Kwok-che,   president of the Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union  and a convenor of the campaign, said yesterday that the signature campaign had received a good response but declined to estimate how many signatures had been collected so far.
The goal was 10,000 signatures  by the end of the month, he said.
The coalition is also raising funds  to try to have the joint petition printed in major newspapers early next month.  Officials are expected to meet social workers' representatives to discuss the grant system on November2.
Last month,  about 5,000 social workers and welfare officers took half a day's leave and marched in Central to protest against the grant system, which they said had cut funding for welfare groups, and reduced pay.
Before the grant system  took effect in 2000, the government had  controlled all spending by welfare groups.  Afterwards, welfare groups   were allowed to decide staff deployment and wages on their own.
But Mr Cheung blamed the grant system for the exodus of experienced social workers in recent years because of reduced pay.
'Family violence cases were the worst hit [when] many experienced social workers quit,' Mr Cheung said. 'Those less experienced had to be asked to deal with family violence cases. It could  have made those bad cases even worse.'
He said the coalition would not rule out a general strike if the government refused to increase funding to  NGOs for staff pay rises.
'If the government continues to ignore our demands, we shall step up our action,' Mr Cheung said. 'We cannot rule out a strike, but it will be a last resort.'



Social workers step up campaign for increased funding, pay rises