<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Hong Kong Standard Local</TITLE></HEAD> <center> <TABLE WIDTH=580 ALIGN=CENTER BORDER=0> <TR> <TD> <IMG SRC="/logoicon/locbannr.gif" BORDER=1> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> <HR> <H2> Unity key to revival say union leaders</H2>  <BODY>UNION leaders from the north Pacific countries have pledged labour unity as the key to their economic revival. <P> Speaking after a two-day North Pacific Trade Union Forum, leaders of national union movements from Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States said rising unemployment, wage cuts and unfair dismissals were prevailing in the region due to the economic turmoil. <P> They said that labour unions had played a vital role in economic recovery. <P> President of the Japan Trade Union Centre-Rengo, Etsyua Washio, said the union had long been pushing for tax concessions and job creation projects that had just been implemented by the government. <P> ``Because of the delay in the introduction of these policies, the economy has worsened,'' the unionist said. <P> He said there would have been a quicker recovery if the government had listened. <P> The union leaders urged the SAR Government to return the right of collective bargaining to the labour unions as Hong Kong is the only place in the region deprived of such protection. <P> ``The SAR Government should abide by the recommendations made by the International Labour Organisation and amend its labour ordinance in order to fulfil its obligation to fully respect freedom of association and collective bargaining which are basic workers' rights,'' Bill Jordan, general secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, said. <P> Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, said Hong Kong labour unions should fight for their own rights. <P> ``The workers can't just stand still and rely on the government to grant them those rights. They should also strive for them,'' Mr Lee said. <P> <TABLE BORDER=2 CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=1 ALIGN=CENTER> <TR> <TD> <A HREF="hongkong.htm#11"><B>Local</B></A> </TD> </TR> </TABLE><P><TABLE WIDTH=580 BORDER=2 CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=1 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/hongkong/hongkong.htm">Local</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/asia/asia.htm">Asia/Pacific</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/china/china.htm">China</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/world/world.htm">International</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/features/features.htm">Features</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/opinion/opinion.htm">Opinion</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/sport/sport.htm">Sport</A></TD></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/entertan/entertan.htm">Entertainment</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/news/001/comics/comics.htm">Tiger's Eye</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/finance/001/hksfin.htm">Business</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/pcmarket/hkspc.htm">PCMarket</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/job/hksjob.htm">JobMarket</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/online/archive/hksarchv.htm">Archive</A></TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="/contact.htm">Contacts</A></TD></TR></TABLE><P> </BODY> </HTML>