Most swim facilities in Hong Kong open despite strike

Despite the strike taken by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Life Guards' Union, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department managed to open 31 swimming pools, 23 beaches and four water activities centers Friday, according to official website of the Hong Kong government.

Visiting several pools, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Anissa Wong praised the lifeguards who reported for duty, for standing firm to their posts.

Wong also thanked the Life Saving Society and the Auxiliary Medical Services for their assistance in enabling services at pools and beaches, and minimizing the effect of the lifeguards' strike.

Only 246 of the 1,193 lifeguards scheduled to work Friday reported for duty. The department deployed 90 honorary lifeguards and 185 Auxiliary Medical Services members.

Wong apologized for the closure of some swimming facilities, and hoped the Hong Kong and Kowloon Life Guards' Union could express its demands in ways that do not affect the public. She added that the management is ready to discuss matters of concern with the union.

Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong said the government respected workers' rights to take industrial action and would not discipline them, however the strike was unnecessary and groundless.

He said the department had been in talks with the union to review the lifeguard establishment and studied the mechanism for working out salary levels for temporary contract lifeguards.

Wong said that lifeguards could continue their work and discuss future arrangements simultaneously, noting their salaries were already above market prices and that contracts had been signed with the full agreement of both sides.

Wong said, "Irrespective of what action some of the lifeguards would take to disrupt the service to the public, the government will absolutely not alter the terms of these contracts and adjust the salaries."

Wong hoped the lifeguards would understand the situation and resume work as soon as possible.

Source: Xinhua