Page 6 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

safety together with 14 trade unions and labour Through this effort we succeeded in arousing con-
organizations. The end product of the consulta- cern on labour evangelism in some congregations,
tion was a proposal made to the government with but the overall com m ittm ent was still lacking. Any-
42 c o -signers consisting of various trade unions way our cooperation with local congregations
and labour organizations with a total representation provided good opportunity for workers involved
of 170,000 workers in Hong Kong. We were glad to to mature, and to strengthen their comm itment in
see the openness and cooperation among different the Christian w orker’movement.

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trade unions.
Our past experience working with local congrega-
Our role in assisting the victims in industrial acci- tions in labour evangelism led us to the conclusion
dent is to side with those who suffer and to reveal that it is necessary to establish a w orker’church.
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the much neglected reality of industrial accidents The Committee passed a m otion in January, 1980
to the general public. Our view point attracted that we should cooperate with local denominations
much media attentions. or overseas missionary bodies to establish a worker's
church. We proposed that the local denomination
Women Workers should send a pastor to work with our staff and
worker in establishing the church. The denomina-
group focusing on working women in tion would also be responsible for the rent of the
A Hong Kong and Asia in general was church in the first three years. The initial agree-
m ent for cooperation is three years. After three
maturing. The group had conducted a
survey on m aternity leave. The recent
the project should be continued. We are at the
government report on m aternity leave quoted many years, an evaluation will be made to decide whether
recommendations of the survey. m om ent approaching denominations who might be
interested in the project.
The spokesman of the several large employers
advocated the abolition of all restrictions regarding
working hours of woman workers. We strongly Personnel
opposed such a move wich would rob women
workers of any protection. r. Raymond Fung resigned from the

In August, women workers also staged a protest to M dirctorship on 1st January 1980. Mr.
Fung has been with the Christian Indus-
the South Korean Consulate on the Haitai Incident, trial Committee for the past eleven years.
a labour dispute during which a woman worker was During this time the work has grown and m atured
killed. Our concern for justice went beyond na- under his leadership. He has enabled the Christian
tional boundaries.
Industrial Committee to become what it is today
especially our determ ination to side with the poor,
the publication of Worker's Weekly, labour educa-
Social Issues tion and strong urge of spread understanding of
the gospel among workers. We are deeply grateful
e issued statem ents on the Boat People for all that Raymond Fung has contributed. We
W Issue, the On Lok Village Incident, hope that we will be able to m aintain a close rela-
the Public Order Ordinance and the
tionship and sharing with him in his new function
Income Tax.
as Executive Secretary to the Division of Mission
of the Hong Kong Christian Council.
Labour Evangelism
Mr. Lau Chin Shek became the new director from
ur cooperation with local congregations 1st January onward. Lau Chin Shek has been work-
such as Sheng Kung Hui Crown of Thorn ing with the Com m ittee since 1972.
Church, S. K. H. Kindly Light Church,
O S. K. H. St. Thom as’s Church and Hung The Committee has Hans Lutz, Elsie Yue, Leung
En Lutheran Church continued. Programmes in- Po Lam, Lee Hung Chong, Cheung Hui Kwan,
cluded labour law counselling, labour education and Wendy Poon, Fung Kan Kuen and Cheung Chi Ming
regular w orker’fellowship. on its staff roll.
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