The anti-union campaign by the authorities, including the application of the National Security Law, interference in trade union activities, harassment of trade unionists and restrictions on public access to information, has led to a condition of judicial and investigative harassment and a climate of fear and intimation compelling trade unions to dissolve their structures. Trade unions are not able to freely organise their activities, and they fear for the security and safety of their members. As a result, the following trade union organisations, including the HKCTU, have triggered internal dissolution procedures:
In January 2021, the Union of New Civil Servants (UNCS) took the decision to dissolve, following the Civil Service Bureau’s introduction of the new oath of loyalty required of all regular and contractual civil servants based on the content of the National Security Law. UNCS considered that the oath would leave no space for the union and its members to freely express opinions, make speeches or conduct freely its activities. The government demanded that 180,000 regular civil servants take an oath and sign a declaration of loyalty to the chief executive and the government in December 2020 to reflect the content of the National Security Law in their work and private conduct. The declaration and the annexes mirror the legal offences in the law to restrict civil servants’ speeches, conduct, and behaviour at work and in private. The determination of what constitutes a breach of the oath is up to the interpretation of the chief secretary. Leaders of the Union for New Civil Servants protested the oath requirement and disbanded the union in January 2021 before the deadline for returning the declarations. By April,129 civil servants refusing to sign the declarations had been suspended or terminated.
On 30 June 2021, Medicine Inspires, a professional organisation of medical professionals and doctors formed in 2015 to advocate policies, human rights and represent the medical profession in functional constituency elections, took the decision to dissolve the organisation. It has opposed the excessive use of tear gas for causing serious injury to protesters and also has opposed the intrusion of the police in hospital wards during the 2019 protests.
Other disbanded unions as of July this year include the Hong Kong Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Union, Hong Kong Educators’ Alliance, Frontline Doctors’ Union, Hong Kong Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Union, Financial Technology Professional Services Personnel Union, Hong Kong Teaching and Research Support Staff Union, and Next Media Trade Union (NMTU).
In a similar way, the authorities have forced other civil society organisations that have a long history of cooperation with independent trade unions to cease activities in Hong Kong or to dissolve.
