[100513.EN.SEA] 200 Dockers Return, But 100 Global Men Jobless As Firm Closes Shop

TWO hundred dockers returned to work at the Kwai Chung quays of the Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), though 100 other workers could not find work after the 40-day strike when their company went out of business.

The union tents remained in place at the Cheong Kong Centre, in front of the headquarters of the ultimate owner of HIT, Hutchison Whampoa. The union said the encampment would remain until work was found for the 100 Global dockers without jobs.

The dockers are employed by stevedoring contractors, who are paid by the HIT terminal to provide the labour. HIT is owned by Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), whose principal shareholder is Hutchison Whampoa, owned by Li Ka-shing, whose headquarters in is the Cheong Kong Centre in Central.

The biggest stevedoring contractor, Wing Fung, declared that none of its present workers would be jobless and that it would do its best to find work at other terminals for the 100 Global dockers.

While the dockers are content with their 9.8 per cent pay increase, many were angered that some of the perks of the past were not longer in place, among them is lunch money, which was transferred to contribute to the pay increase.

Hong Kong Cable TV reported that 15 dockers, angry about the discontinued perks such a lunch money, made good on their threats to resign from Wing Fung Stevedoring, after some 200 of them walked out of a goodwill dinner at the news of the loss earlier this week.

Source : HKSG.