CLC condemns harassment of Hong Kong trade union activists and leaders

The Canadian Labour Congress, representing 3 million Canadian workers, condemns the Hong Kong administration for placing a bounty on the heads of trade unionists, human rights defenders, and pro-democracy activists.

Last May, at the 30th Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress, Hong Kong labour leader and activist Christopher Mung (Mung Siu-Tat) spoke to Canadian workers about the complete deterioration of civil rights and democracy in Hong Kong. Mr. Mung, former Executive Director of the now disbanded Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, is forced to work in exile to defend workers and sustain global attention to the criminalization of trade union leaders and pro-democracy activists.

Last week, the Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants against Mr. Mung and seven others and placed a bounty of HK$ one million on each of their heads.

“Workers at convention heard firsthand about the terrible situation in Hong Kong and the criminalization of doing the basic work of trade unions there,” says Bea Bruske, CLC President. “We stand in solidarity with all workers in Hong Kong and in defence of trade union and human rights.”

Please see the letter from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region demanding that authorities live up to their international and trade union and human rights obligations. The exercise of trade union rights and civil liberties in Hong Kong must be permitted in a context free of fear, intimidation, arrests, and arbitrary prosecutions.

Canada’s unions call for charges to be dropped, and for the release of imprisoned trade union partners Lee Cheuk-yan and Carol Ng, and of all those arrested and imprisoned for allegations related to the exercise of civil liberties, including freedom of assembly, expression, press and association, and of those participating in pro-democracy activities.

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