When Hong Kong’s striking horse handlers brought racing to a stop

“Strike cripples Valley racing” ran a headline in the South China Morning Post on January 15, 1978. “Striking Jockey Club mafoos, who forced the abandonment of yesterday’s Happy Valley meeting, will today stage a sit-in at the Shan Kwong road stables […] The escalation of the sensational strike – which yesterday is estimated to have cost the Jockey Club about $5.6 million – also means an immediate threat to Wednesday’s night meeting.”

The strike was sparked by a dispute over stable boys’ pay at Sha Tin race­course, and tensions were high over accusa­tions that personnel manager Eileen Stringer had threatened mafoos with disciplinary action.

“Spokesmen for the mafoos reveal­ed it was originally their intention to stage a strike on January 28, the day of the yearly Jockeys Invitation Cup which attracts riders of world-wide fame,” the story conti­nued. “This year Lester Piggott, who won his eighth Epsom Derby last year, is the star attraction.”

But mafoos had acted early. “Our hand was forced by the action of the person­nel man­ager in her meeting with our representa­tives [...] after her opening talks with our people and her attitude to them.”

On January 17, the Post reported: “Mafoos last night voted to continue their limited strike indefinitely, virtually forcing the cancellation of tomorrow [Wednesday] night’s Happy Valley race meeting.”

The following day, the newspaper high­light­ed the Jockey Club’s statement that “Mrs Stringer […] will not apologise to the mafoos or be asked to resign or be dismissed”.