Thousands of Hong Kong workers hit the streets last Friday for a mass May Day rally marking International Labor Day.
The crowds demanded wage increases, improved working conditions, and a better work-life balance.
In light of the large pro-democracy protests last year, the traditionally employment-related demonstrations also became an avenue for political groups voicing their frustrations with how political reform is (and isn’t) taking shape.
They came with the trademark yellow umbrellas, a symbol of the pro-democracy Occupy Movement.
The demonstrations also enjoyed some added momentum following many recent cases of the mistreatment of migrant workers, both in Hong Kong and abroad.
Coalitions of domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines called for a number of benefits, chiefly an increased minimum salary of more than HKD4,000 a month and the scrapping agency contracts to abolish exploitations.
Some groups demanded that capital punishment be abolished after an Indonesian maid was executed in Saudi Arabia for killing her employer’s son.
Furthermore, following Nepal’s deadly earthquake last month, many from the local Nepali community took the opportunity to raise awareness and money to help rebuild the flattened nation.
As usual, the procession marched all the way from Victoria Park to the government offices in Admiralty, disrupting traffic flow and prompting the police to close down parts of Hennessy Road.
An organiser said at least 3,400 hit the streets this year, although Police figures capped the number at around 1,400.
The May Day march ended outside Civic Square, where they joined the few die-hard Umbrella Movement protesters still holding their ground.
Photos: Kevin Dharmawan for Coconuts Hong Kong
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