On the eve of May 1st Labor Day, “Hong Kong Labor Rights Watch” released the annual report on the “2025 Hong Kong Labor Situation”, indicating that under the dual pressure of the National Security Law and the amended Trade Union Ordinance, the rights of Hong Kong workers are sinking into “structural collapse”; the authorities are exerting “suffocating control” over independent unions through the “comprehensive institutionalization” of national security measures.
The report’s data shows that although the total number of unions in Hong Kong has increased from 917 in 2019 to 1,412 in 2024, a 55% increase, the report describes this as a mere “numerical illusion”.
In reality, the total number of union members in Hong Kong is experiencing a “snowballing decline”, decreasing by over 160,000 people from more than 930,000 to about 769,000, a decline of over one-sixth, with these numbers not yet accounting for the Education Association’s dissolution in 2026.
Research has found that unions are becoming more fragmented and marginalized. Unions with fewer than 50 members have soared from 287 to 769; by 2024, 376 unions have reported having only single-digit members, accounting for nearly 30% of the total. The report analyzes that political pressure has made workers hesitant to join unions, leading to a weakening of organizing power and the inability to form effective bargaining power.
The report criticizes labor policies for becoming “out of touch” and favoring corporate interests, promoting the “externalization of employment”. By the end of 2025, the number of non-local workers entering Hong Kong through various programs had reached close to 120,000.
Taking the “accommodation and catering industry” as an example, currently, on average, 1 out of every 6 employees is a foreign worker. The report points out that over 47,000 local workers in this industry have been replaced, leading to a nearly 60% increase in the industry’s unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2025 compared to two years ago, with nominal wage growth significantly slowing down to 3.3% from 5.4% two years prior, indicating the weakening bargaining power of grassroots workers.
Regarding administrative pressure, the report reveals that the authorities have transformed political arrests into “administrative control” and “all-weather surveillance”. By the end of 2025, at least 15 union organizers had been arrested or prosecuted; the authorities also used tactics such as venue cancellations, tax investigations, and revocation of professional licenses to precisely target dissent.
Under this “suffocating administrative control”, even organizations like the “Delivery Workers’ Rights Concern Group” and the “China Labor Communication”, which focus solely on livelihood issues, have had to cease operations due to pressure.
Furthermore, the report criticizes labor protection policies for failing to benefit grassroots workers, such as the threshold revision of “continuous contracts” only benefiting around 5% of non-“418” workers, and under the “yearly review” mechanism for the minimum wage level, the dual-income of a three-person household still falls below the poverty line.
Despite the harsh environment, the report documents the resilience and courage of workers, including the 2025 KeeTa courier strike, the sit-in by Baptist University janitors, and protests by Coca-Cola employees against unfair employment practices.
In conclusion, the report emphasizes that these voluntary actions demonstrate the workers’ resilience and determination, showing that their spirit of resistance has not been completely extinguished even under the pressure of “red lines”.