Reflecting on Social Movement Unionism in Hong Kong: A Case Study of Dock Workers' Strike in 2013

Traditionally, the trade unions in Hong Kong were politically divisive between the pro-Chinese Communist Party (Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions or HKFTU) and the pro-Nationalist Party camps (Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council or HKTUC). Following the British colonial government’s suppression of the riot organized by HKFTU by in 1967, independent trade unions have been established since 1970s.  However, the independent trade union federation, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union (HKCTU) was not formed until 1990. HKCTU, with a mission to promote political democracy and social justice in Hong Kong and the Mainland China, was established by Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee (“HKCIC”), a church-based NGO, and was supported by the international trade union movement. In the past two decades, HKCTU has spent huge effort to organize the marginal workers in the communities. This has given HKCTU and its affiliates the characteristics of social movement unionism. However, the social movement unionism spearheaded by HKCTU has not aroused much public attention until 500 sub-contracted workers in HIT, one of the biggest cargo terminal companies in the world, staged a 40 day long strike in 2013. This strike was organized by the HKCTU’s affiliate; it gained tremendous public support and the union’s strike fund raised more than HK$ 8 millions (1.03 millions US dollars) from the public. This strike took place in the context of dropping strike rate in Hong Kong after most of its industries were relocated to the Mainland China. By studying this strike, this paper evaluates the effectiveness and limitations of social movement unionism in Hong Kong and its wider implications. The analysis of this paper was drawn from the author’s participant observation as a core member of an activist group that supported the strike and his previous experience as a transportation trade union organizer.