Hundreds of marchers joined new unions: HKCTU

Hundreds of marchers joined new unions: HKCTU

More than a thousand people taking part in the New Year's Day march joined new unions set up amid the ongoing anti-government agitation, according to the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU).



Booths had been set up along the march route by new groups to represent staff in various industries, from catering to construction, with the aim to mobilise the city's workers as a way of keeping the pro-democracy movement alive.



HKCTU chairwoman Carol Ng said on Thursday that she was encouraged by the number of people signing up to the new unions, but more members are needed if the groups are also to be able to influence future elections in the city.



Ng said the majority of trade unions in Hong Kong have traditionally been pro-establishment, meaning pro-government legislators are usually elected unopposed to some functional constituencies.



"The majority of the registered unions in Hong Kong are still massively pro-establishment. So what we need to do, is to ask the public, if you are considering forming a union, you have to do it now," she said.



"We need maybe another 450 unions in order to try to have the capacity to try to get more seats in different election avenues. A lot of workers now are waking up to the situation, they are aware of their workers’ rights," she added.



Ng also said that having more unions would mean future strike action to press the demands of protesters would be better organised, adding that previous strikes "were not well prepared”.