It's a summer of discontent. First, about 200 Vitasoy workers struck for two days on July 11. Ten days later, about 300 Watsons Water workers went on strike for two days to fight for better pay. Five days after that dispute was settled, about 100 Nestle workers went on a three-day strike. Then, during the Nestle row, there was a brief labour dispute at distilled-water provider Jackel Porter. However, compared with the marathon battle involving bar benders last year, these latest disputes were short-lived. Even in terms of the number of strikes, this year has seen many fewer than last year. From January to June this year, there were 45 cases. The same period last year saw 66. Nevertheless, the strikes this summer deserves close attention from both unions and employers because of the trend they illustrate. Unlike most labour disputes in Hong Kong, in which laid-off workers seek compensation, these workers were striking for better terms and conditions. 'Usually, most workers will not go on strike while they are still in their jobs because they are worried that management will sack them or give them a hard time afterwards,' said Kwong Chi-kin, a retiring legislator for the labour constituency. Moreover, in the latest cases the workers approached labour unions themselves to get action, rather than the other way around. Throughout last month's strikes, one man consistently provided support to the workers' representatives: Mung Siu-tat, the organising co-ordinator of the Confederation of Trade Unions, the second-largest labour group in Hong Kong. Even when Mr Mung was not there in person, his colleagues were on hand to offer support. 'We are there to help with the co-ordination of workers and give advice on negotiation tactics. Also, we have to prepare protest slogans with them,' Mr Mung said. The union offered plenty of advice to the strikers, many of whom were new to this kind of protest. 'We had to teach them how to shout via the loudhailer. At the beginning, workers looked at one another wordlessly, not knowing what to do. After we started to shout demands, they gradually warmed up and shouted the demands for themselves,' he said. The union not only became a practical adviser, but also gave psychological support. 'In the case of Nestle, some workers had never gone to the headquarters before, even people who had been working with this company for over seven years. It was quite a daunting task for them to talk with the head of Nestle Greater China region. 'But they picked it up gradually and could talk to the management board without fear,' Mr Mung said, adding that the negotiation process was also an education for the workers. In July, the Confederation of Trade Unions recruited 800 new members, bringing its total to 170,000. Nearly all the new members are workers involved in disputes at Nestle, Vitasoy and Watsons Water. Chan Pong-yin, 36, a Nestle employee who took part in the dispute last month, is one of them. A Nestle employee for the past 10 years, Mr Chan says he previously did not have much faith in unions. He had discussed them with colleagues in the past, but 'no one wanted to take the lead and we did not pay serious attention to it', he said. However, their attitude changed drastically during the strike that ended on Tuesday. Drivers delivering ice cream will see commissions rise 5.9 per cent to HK$46 for every HK$10,000 worth of product delivered. Commissions for ice cream delivery workers will rise 8.1 per cent to HK$36 for every HK$10,000 worth of product. Workers handling other dairy products will see their commissions rise by 6.5 per cent. Mr Chan said the dispute had lasted two years, and he and his colleague could not see any end to it. They began to consider striking after seeing the success it brought the Vitasoy and Watsons Water workers. They went to see legislator Lee Cheuk-yan, of the Confederation of Trade Unions, for advice. 'We were not planning any strike at the beginning. We approached Lee Cheuk-yan for advice as we were impatient with the management after two years,' Mr Chan said. He believes they made the right move. 'We realised that with the help of a labour union, we would become more united. Because we were united, we got things through in the end.' Workers are now planning to set up their own union. 'After setting up a labour union, the employer cannot ignore us or fire us because we have protested before.' Mr Mung is pleased with these developments. 'This is very encouraging, it is really encouraging. Throughout my 13 years of work in the union, the path of the union movement is now gradually moving to empowerment. 'Instead of being approached by us, workers involved in recent labour disputes approached us proactively. I believe there is a chain effect,' Mr Mung said. 'It is really positive to have their workers fight for their own rights. I hope this spirit continues.' Mr Mung's optimism is not without cause. Most industrial actions in Hong Kong are termed 'disaster type', in which people protest because they have been fired without compensation or lost their jobs unreasonably. 'To labour unions, 'disaster type' protests are passive as these employees are not going to work in the organisation any more,' he said. 'However, the cases of Vitasoy, Watsons and Nestle are different. Most affected employees continue to work in the same company and they are going to set up their own labour union. 'This is relatively rare. Workers are not usually willing to strike during work since that might mean losing their jobs. As there is no legislation to protect workers who go on strike, many people are worried that they will be blacklisted or fired by the company because of the protest.' Mr Kwong, the labour sector lawmaker, agreed that the recent strikes were successful because a consensus was reached in a short time. 'There is no guarantee that every labour dispute will achieve consensus at the end. Sometimes, it can be a disaster.' Mr Kwong said workers also approached the Federation of Trade Unions, to which he belongs, after the strikes. However, he said it probably was too soon to say whether society's perception of labour had changed. 'I don't know whether it is such a rosy picture, because it involves only a single industry,' he said. 'If strikes break out in retail and sales businesses, then there might be concrete changes.' Employers often blame strikes on external forces such as inflation . But Ho Sau-chu, an employers' representative on the Labour Advisory Board, cautioned that timing might explain the number of strikes this year. 'First of all, inflation worsened the situation. Also, as the Legislative Council election is approaching [next month]. There will be workers' disputes continuously,' he said. 'Moreover, the workers' requests were reasonable. They were able to reach a deal in a short time.' He acknowledged that the Confederation of Trade Unions played a major role in the strikes and noted a relatively small number of workers was involved. Although Mr Ho believed the workers' requests were reasonable, he said the series of industrial actions may not be a good sign. 'Nestle threatened to leave Hong Kong if the strike continued. In the future, other employers might follow suit if they are faced with a strike.' Stanley Lau Chin-ho, deputy chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and an employer in the clock industry for more than 20 years, shares this view. 'In the recent strikes, it seems that the workers won,' he said. 'However, I would think it is a lose-lose situation. The workers should know employers have also been hit by inflation. When production costs increase, the employee will suffer.' Mr Lau, who said the strikes added to pressure on employers, did not approve of labour unions getting involved. He said he preferred negotiation between employers and employees. 'When labour unions outside get involved, it complicates the negotiation process, as they know how to organise and formulate strategies. It also politicises the issue.' On Wednesday, a group of primary and secondary school clerks and janitors protested to mark their demands for pay raises. The summer of discontent has not finished yet.
