Contractors offer striking Hong Kong dockers 7pc pay rise

Talks over a salary dispute at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals broke down yesterday as two contractors who employed the striking dockers agreed to a raise of only about 7 per cent - a far cry from the 17 to 24 per cent the workers have been demanding for more than two weeks.

Neither side said if it was standing firm on its proposal. A leader of the strikers said they were highly likely to reject a 7 per cent rise, while contractor Everbest Port Services said "nothing is impossible" when asked if there was room for adjustment.

Representatives from the other contractor, Global Stevedoring Service, left halfway through the meeting as the strikers went for a toilet break.

On the second day of talks arranged by the Labour Department, the contractors offered a pay raise of 5 per cent and other benefits that amounted to about 2 per cent, strike organiser Stanley Ho Wai-hong said.

"We can't see their sincerity from this proposal," Ho said. "There is a high chance we will not accept it. The 2 per cent is given only in the form of benefits, such as to buy meals. The workers will continue with the strike, otherwise the last 15 days of our walkout will go to waste."

He said they might escalate their industrial action, but did not elaborate. About 500 dock workers downed tools on March 28 to push for better pay and working conditions, aided by the Confederation of Trade Unions.