Despite the SARS outbreak looms across the Hong Kong community in recent weeks, nearly 1,000 labor unionist, their supporters and workers turned up in this year's May 1st Labor Day Rally organized by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. They all made use of this Labor Day Rally to demonstrate working class solidarity in the face of the current adverse social and economic conditions.

      The difficulties and problems that most workers in Hong Kong are confronting can be well represented by the emblem of the Rally, a two-head octopus. The two heads symbolize both chief government officials and unscrupulous employers who are working closely in exploiting the rights of the workers in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the arms of the octopus represent the eight vicious acts (sub-contracting, unemployment, long working hours, wage cut, poor occupational health and safety concerns, union discrimination, and age discrimination) that are being artfully exercised by this Government and Corporate collaboration.

      Among those who took part in the rally, about 150 domestic helpers from various countries also added their support in protesting against the HKSAR Government's labor policies, such as the recent wage cut of HK$400.

      The crowd started with an assembly in Victoria Park and then marched to the SAR Government Headquarter in Central. In the course of the rally, participants continuously shouted out their demand in passing legislations in minimum wage, maximum working hours, and the right to collective bargaining. The crowd also made use of the occasion to pay honor to those from different professions, in particularly health workers and cleaners, who devoted themselves selflessly in fighting the SARS outbreak.

      The rally was pushed to the climax when eight workers from various occupations told their stories of hardship that were brought about by the eight vicious acts carried out by the Government and Corporate collaboration. Their experiences were being expressively shared by the crowd as they also reflected the adversities all workers had to encounter in real life. Finally, with assistance from the crowd, the eight workers stepped up to destroy the two-head octopus which signified the deceitful alliance between chief government officials and employers will eventually overcome by the might of working class solidarity.