On August 5, HKCTU organised an education workshop on casualisation. The participants included public sector workers, security guards, bus drivers, cleaners, hotel workers, and other union members either facing casualisation or already employed on a casual basis.

The diversity of participants was reflected in the diversity of approaches to casualisation. Some enterprise unions admitted that despite casual workers making up 20% of the workforce, none were union members. In contrast, unions taking a more pro-active stance in the fight against casualisation have already organised casual workers. The Swire Coca Cola Staff Union, for example, reported that the proportion of casual workers in the workplace is slightly more than 30%, while casual workers make up 28% of union membership. Also, the union took industrial action earlier this year to support the rights of casual workers.

Through these exchanges workshops are not only important for raising awareness, but also to discuss and debate organising strategies. One of the conclusions of the education workshop was that the fight against casualisation should not be a fight against casual workers. Instead, it is necessary to build solidarity between regular workers and casual workers, winning better wages, working conditions and job security, so that the gap between them closes.
Several other education workshops on casualisation have been designed for specific sectors. For example, the Catering & Hotel Industry Employees General Union held a workshop on casualisation in the hospitality industry on July 10, while the social welfare workers unions will hold a workshop on the contracting-out of government services in October.

Also see> Campaign against 4-18 and casualisation