HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG)Hong Kong's finance workers are seeking to organise a strike to protest against China's plans to implement new security legislation.
The Hong Kong Financial Industry Employees General Union is seeking to garner support from 100,000 finance employeesnearly one third of the industry's workforceby June 12 to start a strike, Chairman Kwok Ka-wing said at a press briefing on Monday (June 1), without providing a date for planned action.
Other measures will be considered if support is not achieved for the strike, he said.
"The HKFU strongly hopes our action can stop this evil law and protect Hong Kong as an international finance centre," Mr Kwok said.
"We hope the employers of the financial industry understand we're fighting for justice and the industry, however, not against them."
Efforts to strike have come as the national security law raised concerns over the financial hub's basic freedoms and future autonomy.
The fresh political turmoil is also reviving worries over capital flight while the authorities have argued that there haven't been noticeable fund outflows from either the Hong Kong dollar or banking system.
The pro-democracy HKFU was set up in September and has about 500 members across banks, securities firms and insurers in the city. More members have been joining the group since the security law was announced, he said.
Ficial firms in Hong Kong have found it difficult to disentangle themselves from the political tensions since the previous year.
The city's previous Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying lambasted HSBC Holdings last Friday over not publicly voicing its support for the security law.