Workers as interest groups

Workers as interest groups play a significant role in the democracy movement of Hong Kong. In the pre-1997 period, the emergence of working-class unions brought about a political culture supportive of workers’ interests. However, the working-class interest groups remain politically fragmented with different interests and concerns, ranging from pro-democracy to pro-government/pro-Beijing, thus weakening their ability to negotiate with the business sector. Above all, the capitalist class has penetrated deeply into the political institutions of Hong Kong, including the advisory bodies, consultative committees, legislature and the top policy-making Executive Council. Furthermore, some pro-government and pro-Beijing working-class representatives were politically co-opted and have become labor aristocrats supportive of the government rather than fighting for the interests of the working class. Under these circumstances, government policies have been formulated in favor of the interests of the capitalist class, including the abolition of the collective bargaining law, and the delay in the formulation and implementation of the minimum wage and the standard working hours. As long as Hong Kong remains a capitalistic city-state dominated by the capitalist class in political institutions, the working-class movement is bound to be relatively powerless, especially as the labor unions are ideologically fragmented.