Original: 【只要有人，就可以繼續寫自己的故事——職工盟副主席鄧建華】, published on HKCTU’s Facebook page.
Translator: Grilled saury
Editor’s Note: This is the first in our series of translations of short letters and statements from members of HKCTU that were posted on their Facebook page upon the news of their disbandment on September 17, 2021 due to increasing repression and harassment from pro-Beijing media and the Hong Kong government. We share these translations here to preserve the history of the city’s progressive and independent unionism and to honor HKCTU’s decades of organizing and struggle to better the lives of Hong Kong workers.
I am a labor organizer and the Vice Chair of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU).
As organizers, it is our mission to support workers in changing unequal labor relations and the social system, and to uphold the values in our line of work. Over the past 31 years, generations of labor organizers have joined alongside workers to build up a base of independent unions and establish our own stronghold.
We have seen the possibility of social change in the struggles and coming together of workers. In the past, many of the workers who came out to fight were marginalized in society, and mainstream society was used to seeing their situation as normal, or ignoring their voices completely. To organize is to bring them together, to work together, to fight against the mainstream values of society, to fight for change. The labor organizing movement has always been about confronting capital and the dominant values of society.
Generation after generation of organizers, whenever they encountered workers’ struggles, have found the motivation to go on. Our vision is that one day people from all walks of life in Hong Kong will be able to unite to realize their rights and fight for a more just and democratic society.
In the past, for the sake of a stronger social movement, we have been committed to connecting workers from different sectors, connecting with civil society and the democratic movement, connecting with the emerging unions of 2019, and connecting with the international community. All of this is now a crime. If it is a crime to walk alongside the workers and people of Hong Kong, then we only have four words in response: no complaints, no regrets.
You can force us to disband our organization, but you cannot destroy our beliefs. CTU is now facing dissolution, but all those who have worked with the labor movement over the years, the organizers and union members, no matter where they are now—in prison, in Hong Kong, or abroad—our hearts are all united. With this belief alone, we know that we are not separated.
We will not forget our “discontent” today. At this point, we certainly do not have enough strength to cope with the political crisis, and this “sense of discontentment” will be our final lesson to “union education.” Like many Hong Kong people, we have to learn how to survive in this absurd world.
No matter how much we have been labelled, smeared and suppressed over the past 31 years, the democratic labor movement cannot be erased. Here, I would like to thank every worker who has stood up and defended their rights.
We would also like to thank all the affiliated unions that have continued and persisted to the end. During today’s discussion, apart from our reluctance to part, we also witnessed the fighting spirit among union chapters and their willingness to hold onto their ideas and continue to wage struggle in the industry. We all know that labour organizing must not be stopped.
We know that the relationships forged among workers will not be dissipated by today’s decision. As long as there are people, we can continue to write our own stories. Throughout the past 31 years, we have gone wherever workers needed us. Where there’s a problem, there’s support. The struggles in every industry and workplace have proved that “where there is oppression, there is resistance.” We believe that this will continue to be the case in the future.
Let me conclude by quoting from a letter from our former Chair.
I remain convinced that the spirit of the union is the same as that which I used to guard every fellow traveler: We must stay until the last possible moment, until everyone is safe. The union must be the front line of defence for the workers and the last line of defence for all of us. We bid farewell to this part of our journey today with tears in our eyes, hoping that we will meet again someday, somewhere with smiles on our faces.
As long as people are here, we can continue to write our own stories.
我是一個工會組織者，同時是職工盟副主席。
身為組織者，協助打工仔女改變不平等的勞資關係和社會制度、維護專業價值，是我們的任務。一代又一代的工會組織者，在過去31年與工人一齊努力，一手一腳建立獨立工會陣地、建立我們的堡壘。
在工人的連結、抗爭上，我們見到社會改變的可能性。過去，會行出來抗爭的工人，好多都是社會上的邊緣人，主流社會對他們的情況習以為常、視而不見。組織工作就是要把他們連結在一齊，齊上齊落，對打社會上的主流價值，爭取改變。工會運動，從來是要對抗資本和社會的主流價值。
一代又一代的組織者，每當遇上工人抗爭，就有走下去的動力。我們的理想，是終有一日，香港各行各業的人，能夠集結起來，實踐自己的權利，爭取一個更公義與民主的社會。
過去，為了一個更壯大的民間運動，我們矢志聯繫不同行業的工人、亦在民主運動上與公民社會連結，與2019年的新興工會連結、與國際民間社會連結。凡此種種，如今都成為罪名。如果與香港工人、香港人同行，是我們的罪名，那麼我們的回應只有四隻字：無怨無悔。
你可以逼我們解散組織，但卻不能摧毀我們的信念。職工盟現在是面臨解散，但這麼多年為工運努力過的前輩、組織者、工會人，無論現在身處何地，在獄中，在香港，在外地，我們的心都扣在一起。單是這個信念，我們就知道我們未散。
我們不會忘記今天的「不甘心」。走到今天，我們的確未夠力量應對政治危機，這一份「不甘心」，將會成為我們最後的「工會教育」。與好多香港人一樣，我們都要學習如何在荒謬的世道下，生存下去。
31年來的民主工運路，無論怎樣被扣帽子、被抹黑、被打壓，都是抹不走的。在這裡，我要向每一個曾經站出來抗爭，捍衛自己權利的工人道謝。
我們也好多謝走到尾、撐到底的屬會。在今日的討論中，我們除了不捨，還見到屬會之間的鬥志，願意抱持著理念，繼續運作工會，在行業打拼。大家都知道，工運唔可以停。
我們知道，工人之間織下的關係，不會因為今天的決定而煙消雲散。只要有人，就可以繼續寫自己的故事。31年來，有工人需要我們的地方，我們就會去。一方有難，八方支援。每一個行業和職場的抗爭，都證明了「哪裡有壓迫，哪裡有反抗」。我們相信，未來都是一樣。
容我在這引用我們前主席一封信的內容作結：
我仍深信工會的精神就像我以前守護每一名乘客一樣：我們要在可行的情況下留守到最後一刻，直至每人安全為止。工會必定是捍衛工友的最前線，也是守護眾人的最後一道防線。今日帶淚作別這一段路，遙望他日在某時某地帶笑再相逢。
只要有人，就可以繼續寫自己的故事。
