Then & NowHong Kong’s ‘gig economy’ of 1960s and ’70s – when off-site piecework was a family affair
As Hong Kong’s assembly sector flourished, workers sometimes shared the load with family members, including children, to increase production
Hong Kong, like many other post-industrial societies, has seen the “gig economy” become more closely integrated into working life in recent years. Touted as a pathway to individual freedom, personal agency and better “life choices”, it is defined by understandings between two parties who agree to the terms and conditions of their contract without many of the safeguards that generations of labour activists have fought for.
Part-time work and zero-hours contracts have been marketed by their principal beneficiaries – existing business owners – as “win-win” solutions to the drudgery of lengthy commutes and the tedium inherent in traditional jobs, rather than a source of additional problems.
But how did an earlier version of the gig economy function in Hong Kong?
As the economy moved up the value-added chain through the 1960s and 70s, openings for off-site piecework steadily increased. Widespread opportunity for take-home piecework was linked to Hong Kong’s then burgeoning assembly sector, and many families benefited from the extra income this generated.
What could one do when everyday domestic commitments, such as shopping for groceries, cooking, washing and childcare, got in the way of factory-based overtime? Well, take the work home with you and finish it there, what else? Fun for all the family! And, of course, the few extra (unpaid) hands made for lighter individual work and faster completion, which, in turn, added to the factory owner’s profit margins.