Growing of Nepalese Construction Workers Union Hong Kong

Background • British Government started stationing Nepalese soldiers from 1948/49. • Nepalese soldiers and

Background • About 9000 Nepalese in Hong Kong work as construction workers. • “Nepalese

Program objectives of NCWU 1. Increase the membership. 2. Strength leaderships of the union

Activities and Output of NCWU 1. Organizing in community: home visit survey • NCWU

2. Workers’ gathering and Training • The union Exco and active members are talk

3. Justice for Nepalese workers campaign • Workers rally at May Day on Nepalese

4. Training for Exco and union members • NCWU will conduct education activities for

5. Cooperation with other unions NCWU is co-working with CSWGU and other unions in

Future Proposals Organizing variety activities which including labour rights education, worker registration classes, anti-discrimination

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Growing of Nepalese Construction Workers Union, Hong Kong Mak Tak Ching Organizing Secretary, HKCTU Hong Kong, China

Background • British Government started stationing Nepalese soldiers from 1948/49. • Nepalese soldiers and their families received the opportunity to live in Hong Kong and have citizenship. • Nepalese population accumulated to nearly 35, 000 in Hong Kong. All of them is Hong Kong citizens.

Background • About 9000 Nepalese in Hong Kong work as construction workers. • “Nepalese Construction Workers Union, Hong Kong” (NCWU) founded and affiliated to “Construction Site Workers General Union” (CSWGU) in 2007.

Program objectives of NCWU 1. Increase the membership. 2. Strength leaderships of the union 3. To monitor the implementation of the Anti. Racial Discrimination Law and put demands to the government for improvement. 4. To facilitate co-working of the NCWU with the other 5 unions of construction industry.

Activities and Output of NCWU 1. Organizing in community: home visit survey • NCWU Exco made the list of interviewees; those Nepalese workers in the list were union members and those familiar NCWU. • A group of trained Nepalese interviewers were conducting research mapping in home visit survey.

2. Workers’ gathering and Training • The union Exco and active members are talk to workers face to face during workshops and gatherings. • Unionists also introduce vocational skill training and trade registration service of NCWU and HKCTU to participants of workshops and gatherings.

3. Justice for Nepalese workers campaign • Workers rally at May Day on Nepalese workers rights and against discrimination. • To hold a press conference on labour issues related to racial discrimination, to demand review of Anti-racial Discrimination Law and improvement of labour policies regarding ethicminorities. • Meetings with Labour Department, Construction Industry Training Authority and other government bodies. • Distributing handbills and explaining the demands of the unions to workers to promote “equal work equal pay” and labour rights.

4. Training for Exco and union members • NCWU will conduct education activities for unionists including Exco and active union members. • Such education activities will be training of communication skill, strategy of union development and methodology of survey.

5. Cooperation with other unions NCWU is co-working with CSWGU and other unions in construction industry to concern various issues. From 2007 to now, the membership of Nepalese Construction Workers Union has grown from less than 50 to 380.

Future Proposals Organizing variety activities which including labour rights education, worker registration classes, anti-discrimination law education, rally, press conference and political lobbying. • Since the construction industry is recovering in Hong Kong. NCWU, CSWGU and other unions were launched the “Wage Campaign” for fair salary. •