Labour Advisory Board race sees union succession plans
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Labour Advisory Board is entering a new election cycle ahead of the end of the current term on December 31. The Federation of Trade Unions is expected to hand one of its labour-side candidacies from legislator Lam Wai-keung to Chow Sze-kit, while the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions is inclined to keep Tam Kam-lin in the race
Key Points
- The nomination period for the Labour Advisory Board election opened on September 14, and the five elected labour-side seats will be contested on November 28
- The current board has six employer representatives and six labour representatives, with five labour seats chosen by registered unions under a one-union-one-vote, block-vote system
- Of the five current labour-side members, the FTU holds two seats through Lam Wai-keung and Yeung Hoi-keung, vice-chairman of the Seamen’s Union
- Sources said Lam, now also a Legislative Council member, is not expected to seek re-election, with FTU vice-president Chow Sze-kit seen as the likely successor
- The Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions is said to prefer vice-chairwoman Tam Kam-lin to continue after serving on the board since 2021, though a final decision is pending
Why It Matters
The board is a key tripartite platform that advises the Commissioner for Labour and has been consulted on issues including the statutory minimum wage, standard working hours, paternity leave and the abolition of MPF offsetting before bills move forward. With employment conditions under pressure and industrial accidents drawing concern, the next board’s composition will affect how strongly labour views are represented in upcoming policy debates