Minimum wage for ALL workers! No compromise!
Friday, 16 July 2010.
End the Functional Constituency and endless suffering of working class!
J.M. Roy chinaworker.info
On July 15, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (Legco) gathered to debate the minimum wage legislation. Outside, a group of 200 protesters led by a huge contingent of foreign domestic helpers who are the pride of Hong Kong's labour movement gathered to demand equal rights for all workers regardless of nationality. Socialist Action was also present, demanding a basic minimum wage and campaigning for workers' solidarity.
Before Legco members had even discussed the actual amount the minimum wage would be set at, they wasted no time in limiting its application.
Hong Kong's Legco is a capitalist's dream. Run by businessmen and their lackeys, there was never any danger of any real protection for Hong Kong's lowest paid workers being implemented.
There were 34 amendments up for debate. Most of those proposed by the government/bosses were approved, while those of the workers representatives were vetoed. In an un-democratic bosses parliament, this came as no surprise.
Before the wage level has even been decided, the bosses have set out their stall. They have started by exempting immigrants and the young from any proposed bill.
The functional constituency backed the government's proposal to exempt interns from the minimum wage, was passed, thus ensuring bosses a supply of cheap young labour to exploit at will.
Democratically elected labour representative Lee Cheuk Yan's proposal to include foreign domestic workers was vetoed, thus ensuring that the employers of Hong Kong's 250,000 domestic helpers can legally continue to make them work 16-18 hour days for less than $10 an hour. More evidence, if any was needed, that the free market merely gives bosses the freedom to exploit the vulnerable. We applaud Lee Cheuk Yan for his proposal. Foreign domestic workers who are denied residency and the right to the vote under Hong Kong's racist immigration policies are the most vulnerable sector of society. Without democratic representation, who speaks up for them?
The actual level of the minimum wage will be set by the Minimum Wage Commission, a group which includes Michael Chan Yue-kwong, the executive chairman of Cafe de Coral, Hong Kong's largest fast food chain which scandalously pays its employees less than $20 an hour. Capitalists and their political agents are trying every possible to sabotage unborn minimum wage law and low legal wage level.
How can an individual who makes his money from exploiting others be tasked with limiting the level of his own greed? It is for this reason that functional constituencies must be abolished!
Socialist action was present at the protest with a group of young international comrades.
J.M. Roy chinaworker.info
On July 15, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (Legco) gathered to debate the minimum wage legislation. Outside, a group of 200 protesters led by a huge contingent of foreign domestic helpers who are the pride of Hong Kong's labour movement gathered to demand equal rights for all workers regardless of nationality. Socialist Action was also present, demanding a basic minimum wage and campaigning for workers' solidarity.
Before Legco members had even discussed the actual amount the minimum wage would be set at, they wasted no time in limiting its application.
Hong Kong's Legco is a capitalist's dream. Run by businessmen and their lackeys, there was never any danger of any real protection for Hong Kong's lowest paid workers being implemented.
There were 34 amendments up for debate. Most of those proposed by the government/bosses were approved, while those of the workers representatives were vetoed. In an un-democratic bosses parliament, this came as no surprise.
Before the wage level has even been decided, the bosses have set out their stall. They have started by exempting immigrants and the young from any proposed bill.
The functional constituency backed the government's proposal to exempt interns from the minimum wage, was passed, thus ensuring bosses a supply of cheap young labour to exploit at will.
Democratically elected labour representative Lee Cheuk Yan's proposal to include foreign domestic workers was vetoed, thus ensuring that the employers of Hong Kong's 250,000 domestic helpers can legally continue to make them work 16-18 hour days for less than $10 an hour. More evidence, if any was needed, that the free market merely gives bosses the freedom to exploit the vulnerable. We applaud Lee Cheuk Yan for his proposal. Foreign domestic workers who are denied residency and the right to the vote under Hong Kong's racist immigration policies are the most vulnerable sector of society. Without democratic representation, who speaks up for them?
The actual level of the minimum wage will be set by the Minimum Wage Commission, a group which includes Michael Chan Yue-kwong, the executive chairman of Cafe de Coral, Hong Kong's largest fast food chain which scandalously pays its employees less than $20 an hour. Capitalists and their political agents are trying every possible to sabotage unborn minimum wage law and low legal wage level.
How can an individual who makes his money from exploiting others be tasked with limiting the level of his own greed? It is for this reason that functional constituencies must be abolished!
Socialist action was present at the protest with a group of young international comrades.
- We call for a minimum wage of $33 without compromise.
- We demand the minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age, nationality, disability.
- Minimum wage of HK$33 now, or unions should cqll a one-day grass-roots workers' strike.
- Young workers join a union, unions should fight back
- We demand an end to capitalist undemocratic functional constituencies and building up of an elected peoples' assembly against capitalist rule
- Democratic control of the banks, big business and key industries through public ownership
- Support workers struggle from below, linking the democratic movement and workers' struggle in Hong Kong and China
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