In 2001 there were 67,540 industrial accidents and 201 workers killed at work in Hong Kong. Although construction workers make up 11% of the workforce, 35% of all industrial accidents occur in the construction industry, with an injury rate of 150 out of every 1,000 workers. According to official statistics, there were 170,812 accidents and 520 fatalities reported in the construction industry from 1991 to 2000. Seen from the perspective of Hong Kong’s relatively small construction industry workforce, every year about 16-18% of workers suffer injuries due to industrial accidents – a rate much higher than other ‘developed’ countries in Asia, such as Japan and South Korea.

Despite these injuries and deaths, the government continues to resist union pressure for more stringent penalties on employers, instead focusing on compensation entitlements for industrial accident victims and their families. The Employees’ Compensation Ordinance stipulates that employers are liable to pay compensation to workers or their families for injuries or deaths caused by industrial accidents or occupational diseases.

As yet there are still no legal provisions allowing workers to remove themselves from hazardous or dangerous work conditions without risk of dismissal. This severely limits the ability of workers to refuse dangerous work, contributing to a high rate of industrial accidents and diseases.

Next> Union Action September 2002: Building Workers' Rights - Construction Workers Fight for Unpaid Wages and Jobs