59 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
59 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
The **Hong Kong General Strike of 1922** was a [general
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strike](List_of_General_Strikes "wikilink") started by sailors in [Hong
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Kong](Hong_Kong "wikilink") in
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[1922](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Eastern_Asia "wikilink").
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## Background
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Hong Kong, a colony of the [British Empire](British_Empire "wikilink")
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since [1847](First_Opium_War "wikilink"), saw the quadrupling of prices
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in the early 1920s without a wage rise. As revolutions had swept
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[China](China "wikilink"), many people in Hong Kong felt agitated, after
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bosses refused to concede a 0% wage rise and closed shop, so the
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Seamen's Union (SU) went on strike.
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## Events
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As ships arrived in Hong Kong their crews deserted and joined the
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strike. The Union had an armed militia that enforced the strike and
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blockaded all food by rail or sea. Tens of thousands of strikers and
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their families left Hong Kong for Canton where the local government
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housed, fed and paid them a wage. The bosses had to negotiate with the
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strike committee by telegraph. The government declared the SU and three
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others illegal and brought in scab labour from China. The Union forced
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the railway to levy a 30% surcharge on all tickets to support the
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strike. On the 28th February the SU called all other workers to join
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them. Not only rail workers and stevedores but bakers, cooks, clerks,
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coolies and servants joined the strike. The ruling class now had to cook
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its own food and queue to buy it. No clothes were washed, no shirts were
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ironed. Ministers had to wander government buildings delivering their
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own messages but there was no-one to carry out their orders.
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The army was called out and commandeered food and vehicles, workers were
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pressed into forced labour. With their workforce disappearing, the
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bosses banned anyone from leaving Hong Kong, which meant no-one could
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visit the graves of their ancestors in China, a fearful thing. A
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'freedom' march against the ban led to confrontation, riot and massacre
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at Sha Tin.
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## Results
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The strike led to massive concessions from the government, notably:
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- 20% wage increase for sailors
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- Sailors union legalised
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- Political prisoners freed
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- Half-pay for strike days
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- Compensation for victims of the massacre of Sha Tin
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However, because the bosses stayed in power, they prepared well and
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defeated and [even bigger general strike three years
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later](Hong_Kong_General_Strike_\(1925\) "wikilink").
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## See Also
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- [Revolutions of 1916 - 1923](Revolutions_of_1916_-_1923 "wikilink")
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## References
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<http://libcom.org/history/1922-the-hong-kong-strike> |