Part of the former Minister for Security Regina Ip's "consultation process" was to attend a public meeting organised by the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions (FTU). Despite a record of struggle against the former colonial government during the 1960s, the FTU has since reduced itself to being a welfare organisation for its members and acts as a political stooge of the Hong Kong government via its intimate connection with the DAB, a pro-Beijing political party.

         In Asia, workers often refer to pro-government or pro-company unions as "yellow unions". So it was no surprise that Regina got unqualified support when she attended a pro-Article 23 rally organised by the FTU. Afterwards she boasted that the FTU represented 300,000 members and were right to support Article 23 legislation so as to protect the nation.

         Regina made a big mistake playing the numbers game. Soon after her meeting with the FTU, over half a million people actively opposed Article 23 on the July 1. She has since resigned. The FTU's intimate relationship with Hong Kong's pro-business and non-elected government is hardly in keeping with trade union values. Here are some reasons why:

The FTU on health and safety

         The July 1 march set off from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Coincidentally - we don't think! - the FTU had booked six football pitches near the gathering point to celebrate the sixth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty. Safety concerns became an issue for both the protest organisers and the police as the huge numbers of gathering demonstrators began to spill out of the park. Yet the FTU turned down a polite request to postpone the football event which involved at most a few hundred people. Their somewhat churlish response begs serious questions on the FTU's approach to health and safety.

The FTU on Article 23

• "We accept that there are difficulties with the proposed legislation as it stands, including the question of proscribing organisations. But we see very little room for change."
  Chen Yiu-tang: Chairman of FTU and member of the government's Executive Council on July 3, 2003
  　
• "The government has already put a great deal of work into the current draft. Thereis no need to shelve the bill…Some of those who oppose it do so because they don't really understand its con tent. If the economy was in better shape there wouldn't be so many people opposed to the bill."
  
  Chen Kwok-qiang FTU sponsored member of the Legislative Council on July 3, 2003

FTU's political track record: a history of selling out Hong Kong's workers

• 1988: Opposed plans to introduce limited direct elections under the slogan "rice ticket not a voting ticket";
• 1997: Supported the Tung government's cancellation of legislation protecting the right to collective bargaining;
• 2003: Opposed a vote of no confidence on Finance Minister Anthony Leung after he refused to declare his purchase of a new luxury car weeks before raising taxes on luxury cars. Leung has since resigned.
• Called on the government not to delay the introduction of Article 23 legislation despite the half million strong march on July 1 opposing it.