The Paradox of Tripartitism and Employment Relationships in an Industry of Service-Providing Agencies in Hong Kong

Abstract

This article explores the role of industrial ‘tripartitism’ as a feature of industrial relations in Hong Kong. Drawing on data from a survey of the property management industry they conducted, the authors show how diversity in the forms of hiring practices and heterogeneity in the composition of the workforce contribute to an impasse in which an industrial tripartite council is bogged down despite its stated mission. The controversies arise from the issue of the long work hours of the security guards, leading to wide public concern and the subsequent proposed change from the industry norm of the two-shift day to a three-shift day for the workers. The case study also attests to the difficulties in setting up industry-wide work standards due to intra-sectoral diversities, and in particular, the dual labour market conditions and the multi-tiered principal-agent relationship arising from outsourcing arrangement.