Watsons Water delivery workers ended a two-and-a-half-day strike yesterday after the company promised to address manpower shortages and an increase in outsourcing - which the union described as the 'core issues' behind the strike.
After a one-hour meeting with the management in the morning, the strikers ended their sit-in at 3pm, and resumed their duties.
Union organiser Leung Wai-yum said: 'We understand that more time should be given to the company to settle the contract issues [of outsourced staff] and to review the overall staffing.'
Tension between the two sides was at its height on Thursday night, as the union said the company, a subsidiary of tycoon Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa, 'refused to talk about the core issues'. The workers threatened to remain on strike for a third day.
The deliverymen were still disappointed by the company's refusal to make a one-off monthly attendance allowance of HK$2,000, payable for three months, into an annual reward.
'The outcome is a bit different from what we expected, and some of our demands still haven't been satisfied,' Leung said. 'But the two sides have made some concessions to settle the dispute.'