We are all familiar with strikes. Sometimes a strike will take a few days to resolve – sometimes much longer. In Hong Kong’s Hongkong International Terminals port, a strike has stalled global business and commerce since March 28th of this year.

Due to the strike, some cargo ships face delays upwards of 60 hours (whereas a typical wait time might only take about three hours). The delays have a vast global impact in the supply chain as costs increase due to ships being forced to reroute to nearby ports (in Guangdong, China or Kaohsiung, Taiwan) or coerced into skipping subsequent destination ports.

Although immediate commerce has been affected by the strike, the mere presence of a strike in the Hong Kong port is bound to take a toll on the economy in the long run.  Hong Kong’s unions are historically not as effective at negotiations (in comparison to American labor unions for example), so resolution of a strike like this may take an exorbitant amount of time.

With that in mind, the perspective of the workers on strike is also understandable. The rising cost of living in Hong Kong and the widening income gap has led to unrest from the working class. Workers take to the streets and protest several times a year to raise awareness of this problem and to pursue a solution. The workers on strike at the port lament the long hours and low wages. Port workers make 55 HKD per hour (the equivalent of $7 USD) and are hoping to negotiate a wage increase of at least 20%.

What do you think about the strike situation in HK?  Voice your thoughts in the comments section below.