Hong Kong’s largest opposition trade union group set to disband, with leaders beginning process of dissolution
- Sources say decision to dissolve will be put to a vote at an extraordinary general meeting of the Confederation of Trade Unions in early October
- CTU president Joe Wong says an announcement will be made on its future this weekend
Sources have told the Post that the decision to dissolve would be put to a vote at an extraordinary general meeting of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) in early October which would be passed if 80 per cent of attendees were in favour of calling it quits.
Joe Wong Nai-yuen, the president of the CTU, would neither confirm nor deny it on Friday, saying only that an announcement would be made in two days’ time.
The 31-year-old group is among a list of opposition and activist groups targeted by the pro-Beijing media and authorities in the name of national security. Last month, the Wen Wei Po newspaper accused the CTU of pocketing funds from foreign labour unions as well as the National Endowment for Democracy, a US-based organisation funded by Congress that is often identified as an offshoot of the CIA.
The CTU’s move to disband would add it to a long list of at least 15 opposition groups or unions which have broken up or announced their intention to do so since June.
Responding to Post inquiries, Wong, who took over as the group’s leader following the jailing of two other senior figures in recent months, would only say the CTU had met “late into the night” on Thursday, and decided to hold a press conference this weekend.