Hong Kong Braces Itself For General Strike

Critics of the government are raising the ante by planning to push ahead with a general strike on Monday, in what some see would mark a new phase in the anti-extradition campaign.

The chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Carol Ng, says most of the 95 unions affiliated with the CTU have vowed to go on strike.

Among them are members of the transport and higher-education sectors, as well as those in property management and groups representing security guards.

About 2,000 social workers are set to join the strike as well.

"This is one of the historical moments for all the workers in Hong Kong to massively strike on one day in order to deliver their expectations for the response," Ng said.

"It could be just the beginning, so the government needs to respond ASAP."

Ng was one of the speakers at RTHK's City Forum on Sunday.

As for public-hospital staff, Health Secretary Sophia Chan has urged them to put the well-being of patients first.

Speaking after she attended an event on Sunday, the health chief said she was not sure how many workers would join the strike, but that the Hospital Authority will keep a close eye on the situation.

Another speaker at City Forum, associate professor Wilson Wong of the Department of Government and Public Administration at Chinese University, said the strike marks a new phase in the anti-extradition campaign.

"I think it is something new because it imposes an economic cost to the city," he said.

"The new tactic will attract the attention of the world and the international mass media again, so it will further undercut and undermine the legitimacy and governability of the current government."

Centaline founder Shih Wing-ching, another City Forum speaker, does not think a single-day strike would have a strong negative impact, but anything beyond that could be a different story.

"If this kind of thing goes on and spreads all over to different industries, then the Hong Kong economy will probably slow down," Shih said.