Hong Kong: Employees and unions allege companies of intimidating workers who speak out in protests and pressuring them to echo govt's official line
“In Hong Kong, China Threatens Businesses and Workers”, 31 May 2020
China and its allies are using threats and pressure to get business to back Beijing’s increasingly hard-line stance toward Hong Kong, leading companies to muzzle or intimidate workers who speak out in protest…
Lawyers, bankers, professors and other professionals interviewed by The New York Times described a growing culture of fear in offices across the city. Employees face pressure to support pro-Beijing candidates in local elections and echo the Chinese government’s official line. Those who speak out can be punished or even forced out…
"We’ve seen a rapid deterioration in free expression in Hong Kong since the anti-government protests began,” said Jason Ng, a former lawyer for BNP Paribas…Mr. Ng was punished by his former employer for writing his political views on his Facebook page…The comments, which were later taken down, were heavily criticized in China’s state media and on the Chinese internet. BNP apologized and pledged to take immediate action. Mr. Ng then left the bank…
Something similar happened to Ka-chung Law, a high-profile economist at Bank of Communications, a state-backed Chinese bank…in early October, Mr. Law said, he emailed an article to his team that was critical of China and discussed ways in which the United States could punish Beijing economically. One of his bosses called him in…Mr. Law said he was told to resign. He did… The bank declined to comment…
… before Hong Kong held district council elections in November, Mr. Choong’s [who works for a Chinese state-backed company] manager approached him with a request. Vote No. 2, he was told. That was the number for the pro-Beijing candidate in his district… as Beijing pushed on with plans to implement its national security law in Hong Kong, pro-Beijing groups fanned out across the city in search of support. According to some local workers, their bosses helped in the effort.
Managers at Chiyu Banking Corporation, a local bank owned by Xiamen International Bank, sent a WhatsApp message to employees asking them to sign a petition, according to a complaint filed by the Hong Kong Financial Industry Employees General Union. Once they had done so, the complaint said, they were told to screenshot their signature and share it. Similar instructions were sent to employees at Wing Lung Bank, according to the union. Workers at other banks said they had received similar messages, said Ka-wing Kwok, the union’s chairman, but the union was unable to verify them. Chiyu Banking and Wing Lung Bank did not respond to requests for comment. Hong Kong regulators declined to comment…
[Also referred to HSBC, Cathay Pacific, NBA, Coach, Givenchy and Versace]