Dockers vow to continue strike
Workers march to the offices of the two main contractors and plead for public help as 100 crane operators show their support
Dock workers vowed to stay on strike until their demands were met, some recalling how they worked at the terminal for as long as seven days without rest.
About 200 strikers continued to block a section of the Kwai Tsing container terminals as their strike entered the second day yesterday. A further 100 crane operators joined them last night.
Some workers had reportedly resumed work after their employer agreed to boost their pay by 10 per cent. But the unionists called this a tactic to divide them.
The strikers and their supporting organisations called on the public to donate tents, food, water, clothes and other materials, and to contribute to a fund to support the strike. The Union of Hong Kong Dockers said yesterday it expected the number of strikers to continue growing.
The workers marched to the offices of the two main contractors - Everbest and Comcheung - at the terminal yesterday, vowing not to give in. The Labour Department sent representatives to help with negotiations.
Striking workers rejected an Everbest offer to talk because the company refused to let union representatives participate. The workers also wanted to talk directly to port operator Hongkong International Terminals.
Wong Pit-loi, who has worked at the terminal for seven years, said employees commonly worked non-stop for days on end. His own record was seven straight days without going home or getting any proper sleep.