HONG KONG
Hong Kong’s Civil Service Bureau (CSB) says that Public Servants who took part in the recent city-wide strike could have their pay docked for the day.
The CSB has asked the various Government Departments if the strike affected their services as a result of their staff facing difficulties in getting to work because of traffic chaos and morning closures to several key MTR rail lines.
“The Government has the responsibility to understand the operation of various Government Departments on the day of the strike, as well as the impact the public transport service disruption had on colleagues not going to work,” a CSB spokesperson said.
“If a Civil Servant refuses to perform any or part of the daily duties, based on the ‘no work, no pay’ principle, the management can proportionately deduct the wages of the employee depending on the circumstances.”
Chair of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Carol Ng Man-yee said an estimated 350,000 people participated in the general strike.
Speaking on a local radio program, she said the aviation sector was one of the most supportive industries, with an estimated 1,500 employees from Cathay Pacific participating in the strike — around half of the manpower the airline needs on a daily basis.
Ms Ng urged employers to show understanding and not take action against employees who participated in the strike.
“While it’s understandable that employers may deduct employees’ wages for the day, it’s unacceptable if they deduct bonuses, issue a warning letter or sack them,” Ms Ng said.
Hong Kong, 10 August, 2019
