Healthcare Workers Vote to Strike

Health secretary Sophia Chan wipes tears during a radio show today

A newly formed union made up of doctors, nurses and hospital staff have voted overwhelmingly to strike starting on Monday to press the government to shut all border points with China in order to stem the possibility of more coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.

The pro-democracy Hospital Authority Employees Alliance voted 3,123 for the strike, 10 against and 23 abstained. Eight votes were invalid. The union has about 13,000 members, but many of them were unable to vote today because they were either working or not in Hong Kong.

The healthcare union voted overwhelmingly to strike Monday

This strike will be yet another headache for the Hong Kong government, which so far has done little to allay the public's fears. Which is perhaps why Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee broke down in tears before the vote while speaking on a radio show.

"I'm worried about the emotions of healthcare workers," said Chan, who paused for a few seconds to compose herself. "As well as our services."

She said her biggest concern was the safety of frontline healthcare staff.

"We must protect all our frontline workers," Chan said, noting that she understood they faced immense pressure.

So... how about meeting their demands and protecting them by closing the borders?

DAB's Starry Lee hands out masks to residents

Or has Chan begged Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to do this and she refused? Or is this a sign that Chan has failed in her job? Or are these crocodile tears in the hopes medical workers will feel sorry for her?

Regardless, the strike is going ahead, though it is unclear at this point how much services will be impacted and how many people will be participating, but it is important for them to show how serious they are about their demand, and at this point most of the public would probably support them too.

The government is not taking the coronavirus and its potential to spread seriously enough, leaving the public terrified and having to fend for themselves. They are so worried about not being able to secure enough masks that they have cleaned out supermarket shelves of everything from rice to vegetables to instant cup noodles, bread and vitamins to be locked down in their own flats for several days, maybe weeks.

Long lines to pick up masks from pro-Beijing political groups

Memories of SARS 17 years ago have not faded for Hongkongers, but perhaps for Lam and her ministers it's a distant past.

In order to salvage their political skins and garner some good will from voters, several pro-Beijing legislators handed out 80,000 free masks to people in Kowloon, though they were in ziplock bags, only a few in each bag. But will those grateful mask receivers vote for these pro-establishment politicians come November during the Legislative Council elections?

Even they are demanding that Lam close the borders and she hasn't listened to them either...