HONG KONG: Hong Kong dockworkers have accepted a 9.8 percent pay increase, ending a 40-day strike that slowed traffic at one of the world’s busiest ports.
The workers settled their dispute late yesterday by agreeing to the pay offer from four middleman contractors that provide staff to a container terminal operator controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.
The strike was the longest in years in the former British colony, now a semi-autonomous Chinese city that retains a reputation as a stronghold of laissez-faire capitalism. It raised questions about the competitiveness of the city’s port amid intensifying competition from regional rivals.
About 450 workers went on strike on March 28. They originally demanded a raise of up to 23 percent to make up for pay cuts in previous years. They later said they would settle for a double-digit percentage increase.
Lawmaker and union leader Lee Cheuk-yan said the offer was a face-saving compromise but members are happy because the increase is for all workers, not just those who went on strike. The offer also includes improvements to working conditions, he added.
AP
