Members of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (“HKPTU“), the largest teachers’ union in Hong Kong, voted to disband the union on 11 September 2021 amidst legal and political pressure on pro-democracy organisations.
Since the National Security Law of Hong Kong came into effect on 30 June 2020, pro-democracy entities have faced increasing pressure, including arrests of key leaders, police raids and investigations, public criticisms made by the Hong Kong Government, and strongly-worded commentaries put out by PRC state-run media. High-profile organisations that have recently announced disbandment or intention to disband include the Civil Human Rights Front, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Wall-fare (a concern group on rights of inmates), among others.
HKPTU, a pro-democracy union with 48 years of history, is the largest union for workers in the education sector in Hong Kong and the biggest trade union representing a single profession in Hong Kong. It was reported to have 95,000 members as at 11 August 2021, more than double the members of the second-largest teachers’ union, namely the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers.
The below timeline highlights key events leading up to the disbandment of HKPTU.
Tags: EDB, Education, Government, HKPTU, Hong Kong, Pro-democracy organisations, Trade Unions