The late John Baptist Cardinal Wu, in his pastoral exhortation, March into the Bright Decade, pointed out that the Church should take on the roles of servant and prophet roles in society. So on 15 February 1991, the diocese set up the Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs.
The commission actively attends to local labour issues and especially serves grassroots workers. The first Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers [Kowloon] was set up in 1992 for workers in Kowloon. Various activities were organised to raise public awareness of the need to care for the workers.
Labour is an important constituent of society, covering all walks of life. The Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on the economy. Companies closed down and employees have been laid off. Aviation and tourism have been hard hit.
Many workers lost their jobs, adding a greater burden to already strained lives. It is sad that some have chosen to end their lives amidst their plight.
The Commission for Labour Affairs has spoken out many times on unfair situations and crises confronting the working class. It offered views to relevant government departments on issues such as guidelines on risk assessment of heat stroke at work, health care financing, the Mandatory Provident Fund offsetting arrangement, and minimum wage, among other issues. The government is urged to make suitable arrangements and pass appropriate legislation on related issues to ensure reasonable protection for workers.
Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out for workers, pointing out that they are real people, not numbers and that employers should provide a safe working environment for them. The pope added that workers are the real wealth, without whom there would be no business and no economy.
The more we care about the dignity of work, the more can we be assured of the quality and beauty of the work carried out. The pope encouraged us to consider how we can restore the value of work; avoid focusing only on profits and economic indicators, and ensure that work can affirm individual rights and responsibilities.
“It allows everyone to express the best of themselves while earning their daily bread. The more we take care of the dignity of work, the more certain we are that the quality and beauty of the work carried out will increase,” Pope Francis said.
The International Labour Organisation released the report on Global Estimates of Modern Slavery in mid-September. It pointed out that compounding crises—the Covid-19 pandemic, armed conflicts and climate change—have led to unprecedented disruption to employment and education, and more extreme disparity between the rich and the poor.
According to the report, in 2021, there were 27.6 million people in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriages. Of these 50 million people, 3.3 million were children. The situation is really worrying. The United Nations urges governments of different countries, trade unions and all sectors of society to do their best to contain the situation.
“Work is for man, not man for work” [Laborem Exercens, #6]. Man is the subject of work. The primary basis for the value of work is man himself. We should pay more attention to the man who is working, and not the work itself. SE
