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Better wage conditions for Hong Kong social workers on the Legco agenda for Occupy activist turned lawmaker
Shiu Ka-chun also says social welfare sector needs ‘time to heal’ after infighting at Legco elections
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An Occupy activist turned lawmaker representing the social welfare sector has vowed to improve the treatment and working conditions of social workers, and to allow the voices of social service users to be heard in the Legislative Council.
Baptist University social work lecturer Shiu Ka-chun also acknowledged the importance of uniting his sector, which saw an unprecendented five-horse race and infighting among pan-democrats during the Legco elections.
Shiu beat key rival Yip Kin-chung, president of the pro-democracy Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union, by a margin of 745 votes, but only garnered 40.8 per cent of all votes, falling short of the majority.
“Our similar background prompted us to engage in a fiercer debate to differentiate ourselves. It might take time [to heal],” Shiu told the Post in an interview.
“I would be humble to build allies in the battlefield.”
Jeffie leads the Hong Kong politics team at the Post. She joined the paper in 2013 after beginning her career as a political reporter in 2009. She is the co-editor of Rebel City: Hong Kong’s Year of Water and Fire published by the Post and World Scientific, which documented the city’s anti-government protests in 2019. She has previously been a recipient of the Human Rights Press Awards, the Hong Kong News Awards and the Chinese University Journalism Award.
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