The Fort Worth Press - Hong Kong press union head sues WSJ for 'unreasonable dismissal'

USD -
AED 3.672959
AFN 68.564771
ALL 93.747911
AMD 390.284429
ANG 1.810594
AOA 913.496802
ARS 1003.995188
AUD 1.53459
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.699549
BAM 1.867656
BBD 2.028371
BDT 120.054049
BGN 1.86754
BHD 0.376919
BIF 2967.603314
BMD 1
BND 1.350013
BOB 6.941467
BRL 5.814299
BSD 1.004588
BTN 84.879318
BWP 13.715061
BYN 3.287735
BYR 19600
BZD 2.025029
CAD 1.39725
CDF 2870.000195
CHF 0.886431
CLF 0.035289
CLP 973.740147
CNY 7.246703
CNH 7.254485
COP 4391.61
CRC 510.697626
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 105.296581
CZK 24.204897
DJF 178.896958
DKK 7.12104
DOP 60.533139
DZD 133.588976
EGP 49.733601
ERN 15
ETB 125.19309
EUR 0.9546
FJD 2.273301
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.79438
GEL 2.725005
GGP 0.789317
GHS 15.9733
GIP 0.789317
GMD 70.999977
GNF 8659.405931
GTQ 7.755077
GYD 210.182537
HKD 7.781725
HNL 25.38723
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.897725
HUF 392.640012
IDR 15920.85
ILS 3.71464
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.497198
IQD 1316.106114
IRR 42104.999726
ISK 139.49025
JEP 0.789317
JMD 159.547343
JOD 0.709104
JPY 154.437033
KES 129.499408
KGS 86.498196
KHR 4051.853797
KMF 469.650427
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1400.502368
KWD 0.30764
KYD 0.837201
KZT 498.204702
LAK 22005.452662
LBP 89966.529634
LKR 292.295131
LRD 181.336364
LSL 18.178163
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.907395
MAD 10.047317
MDL 18.293632
MGA 4704.107261
MKD 58.762862
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.054107
MRU 39.953781
MUR 46.39985
MVR 15.450137
MWK 1742.028515
MXN 20.42637
MYR 4.468981
MZN 63.867524
NAD 18.17825
NGN 1691.080109
NIO 36.9663
NOK 11.06257
NPR 135.806643
NZD 1.712199
OMR 0.384998
PAB 1.004588
PEN 3.816004
PGK 4.044176
PHP 58.961497
PKR 279.238615
PLN 4.147038
PYG 7884.8734
QAR 3.662677
RON 4.751797
RSD 111.714014
RUB 101.298586
RWF 1380.387139
SAR 3.754514
SBD 8.355531
SCR 13.620455
SDG 601.50733
SEK 11.062099
SGD 1.345655
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.584996
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 574.129781
SRD 35.405041
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.790275
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.186159
THB 34.769962
TJS 10.699307
TMT 3.51
TND 3.178235
TOP 2.342103
TRY 34.5321
TTD 6.819267
TWD 32.550997
TZS 2652.35898
UAH 41.476647
UGX 3711.856071
UYU 42.810419
UZS 12915.455097
VES 46.269033
VND 25420
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 626.409275
XAG 0.032294
XAU 0.000372
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.766351
XOF 626.39432
XPF 113.885189
YER 249.898534
ZAR 18.081301
ZMK 9001.203834
ZMW 27.702577
ZWL 321.999592
  • BCC

    2.9500

    140.36

    +2.1%

  • SCS

    -0.0300

    13.04

    -0.23%

  • NGG

    -0.1700

    63.1

    -0.27%

  • GSK

    0.3500

    33.7

    +1.04%

  • RYCEF

    0.1800

    6.79

    +2.65%

  • RIO

    0.1800

    62.57

    +0.29%

  • AZN

    1.0600

    64.26

    +1.65%

  • RBGPF

    59.6900

    59.69

    +100%

  • CMSC

    0.1200

    24.64

    +0.49%

  • CMSD

    0.1850

    24.445

    +0.76%

  • JRI

    0.0000

    13.23

    0%

  • BCE

    -0.3200

    26.68

    -1.2%

  • RELX

    0.6500

    45.76

    +1.42%

  • BTI

    -0.1000

    36.98

    -0.27%

  • VOD

    -0.1000

    8.84

    -1.13%

  • BP

    0.4400

    29.52

    +1.49%

Hong Kong press union head sues WSJ for 'unreasonable dismissal'
Hong Kong press union head sues WSJ for 'unreasonable dismissal' / Photo: © AFP

Hong Kong press union head sues WSJ for 'unreasonable dismissal'

A former Wall Street Journal reporter began proceedings Tuesday to sue the newspaper for "unreasonable dismissal", after she said she was fired for taking up a role heading a Hong Kong press union.

Text size:

Selina Cheng reported on the Chinese electric vehicle industry for the newspaper before she was made redundant in July, weeks after she was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).

Cheng said when she was dismissed her supervisor told her the Journal's employees "should not be seen as advocating for press freedom in a place like Hong Kong".

"I think the Wall Street Journal has done irreparable damage to my own reputation and the Hong Kong Journalists Association's reputation," Cheng told reporters after filing a civil claim with the city's Labour Department.

She said she resorted to legal action after the complaint she made within the company "never received a single update and response", and after her request to be reinstated was rejected.

The newspaper's actions showed "they had very little respect for employee rights here and Hong Kong's laws", she said.

The Wall Street Journal did not immediately reply to an AFP request to comment.

At the time of Cheng's firing, a spokesperson for the outlet's parent company Dow Jones confirmed that personnel changes had been made but declined to comment on Cheng's case.

Hong Kong's press freedom ranking has plummeted since Beijing cracked down on dissent after huge, sometimes violent democracy protests in 2019.

HKJA, a legally registered trade union, has been criticised by government officials such as the city's security minister Chris Tang for inciting violence and hatred against the authorities during those protests.

Cheng told reporters she would also file a criminal report against the Journal under the city's employment law, in addition to the civil claim already filed.

Under the former, an employer found guilty of terminating an employee's contract because of their trade union membership could be fined up to HK$100,000 (US$12,856).

F.Garcia--TFWP