Hong Kong chief executive lauds dock strike mediators

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung on Tuesday commended the efforts of officials in mediating between workers and employers to resolve the container terminal labor dispute. Leung said the Secretary for Labour & Welfare, the Commissioner for Labour and their staff faced a difficult task in getting both sides to reach a compromise, urging the public to recognise their efforts. Hong Kong dockworkers on Monday accepted a 9.8-percent pay increase, marking the end of a 40-day strike that slowed traffic at one of the world's busiest ports. The workers, who are directly or indirectly employed by Hong Kong International Terminals, a container terminal operator controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, agreed to the pay offer from four middleman contractors that promised to raise pay for all staff and improve working conditions. The strike started on March 28. The workers originally demanded a raise of up to 23 percent to make up for pay cuts in previous years. They later said they would settle for a double-digit percentage increase.