Covid Testing as KPI in Hong Kong?
A mainland Chinese financial institution allegedly pressured its staff in Hong Kong to become participants in the city’s controversial coronavirus testing program.
Chinese broker Founder Securities told employees to present their test results to the human resources department as recorded evidence, according to the Hong Kong Financial Industry Employees General Union, a labor union formed last year to represent financial workers in the city. Any instances where employees fail to comply will be considered as part of their work performance.
Workers should have the right to decide whether or not to take such tests «based on their actual needs and wishes», the union said in a social media post criticizing Founder’s move.
Founder Securities, which is also a joint venture partner with Credit Suisse in mainland China, did not respond to related inquiries.
Pro-Establishment Streak
The Founder incident, if proven true, would not mark the first time that mainland financial institutions in Hong Kong have engaged in non-financial activities that are supportive of government policies.
Earlier this year, Bank of Communications, ICBC International, Haitong International, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank International and Guotai Junan Securities were amongst those reportedly pressuring Hong Kong-based staff to sign a petition supporting the national security law prior to enactment. No reports ever stated if such moves were self-initiated by the firms or directly influenced by external entities.
In addition to the involvement of mainland officials, such cases of pressured support are often cited as reasons for public distrust, according to local media and forums. In response to public concerns, the Hong Kong government issued a statement over the weekend to dismiss them, describing such comments as attempts to scare and mislead the public.
