Organzied Labour & Unions ✊🏼

I am chronically ill. Sometimes it means I am physically, psychologically and emotionally unable to function. 

When I worked in retail and hospitality, I had no choice but to yeet my weakened body into work. One missed shift could mean I eat nothing but instant ramen for the next month. 

Thankfully, that is no longer my reality. 

In my day job, I am a member of a union. Under our collective agreement, workers are guaranteed paid sick leave that accumulates over time. When I feel unwell, I simply text my manager: I’m taking a sick day today. And that’s it. 

Collective agreements are essential to protect workers in this capitalist system, where employers are focused on extracting maximum profit. Organized labour empowers workers to negotiate a contract with fair and equitable employment conditions. 

A strong union must be willing to risk everything to fight for workers’ rights. 

As I recover from an awful flu, I can’t help but feel so thankful for the generations of labour union activists who fought for us. And I know it is now my responsibility - as a union member - to fight for those who come after me. 

📝 Reading List 📝

History | Canadian Labour Congress

Canada’s labour movement has a long history of improving workers’ everyday lives. We fought for and won many of the rights enjoyed by all workers today – minimum wages, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, maternity and parental leave, vacation pay, and protection from discrimination and harassment. Today unions work hard every day to protect the rights we’ve won, and to win new rights for all workers. We are social unions, focused not just on the gains we can make in bargaining, but the gains we can make for society as a whole, like fighting to end child labour, or to…

Canadian Labour Congress

Welcome to Kong Girl Socialist's Yum Cha 飲茶 series — a flexible short-form blurb where I drop mini essays, reflections, and commentary. 

Afternoon tea is a daily ritual of many Hongkongers! Not only to physically sip hot tea while munching on a snack, Yum Chat are social activities to 吹水 chit chat with your friends 🫖