The Experiences of Filipino migrants’ union, “United Filipinos in Hong Kong”

: organizing and educational training


We established domestic workers’ union in 1998. Hong Kong is a good example of women workers' movement. Most participants of migrants’ movement are women. Domestic workers are on duty for 6 days and only free on Sundays. So, the organizing activities take place on Sundays. We usually use cell phones to organize, but workers have to use them without being caught by the employers. We educate people on the street and at park. Workers gather at certain places, and we visit there to offer training and education.


To find issues that migrants face everyday, we conduct research and analyze workers’ condition specifically: How much do workers get paid? How do they spend their money? What are the roles of employers and government? What is the role of the government of sending country?  What about the bank or the brokers? Why do so many migrant workers run into debt in course of migration? And so forth.


We know that when the campaign issues are formed in the research process, people join the movement more readily. We provide actively engaged members with an advanced training while offering social events—such as party and sports games—to people with less consciousness. Collecting signatures is an effective way to encourage participation of those who are reluctant to come out. We should be careful not to exclude workers who are not necessarily active. We should include them in our activism by offering what they want. It is most effective to organize according to a level of participants and degree of their participation. Continuity is crucial. Migrant workers know that they will be able to meet us on Sundays.


In our statements, we include what migrants informed us about their lives. This helps for union members to learn about their issues. We release these statements every month. Of course, it is a very brief statement. It is important that the statement is written in migrants’ native language and in an accessible form instead of an arcane academic language.


We ask workers’ opinion on the statements by text messages: do you understand the statement? Do you have any questions? When can you spare some time with us? If they cannot join the meeting, we visit them and inform them about the meeting. Sometimes, we visit their home and educate one thing at a time. We call this “back door organizing.” This is because, we enter into the back door near the kitchen instead of through the front door to avoid the employers’ attention.