By Coconuts Hong Kong November 4, 2015 /14:57 HKT
Hong Kong’s Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has been ordered to pay a former employee who lobbied against gay marriage while heading a public consultation about that very issue.
On Monday, the city’s Labour Tribunal insisted the EOC pay Josiah Chok HKD867,000 in unpaid bonuses as his contract states he is entitled to the extra money regardless of whether his job performance was satisfactory, Stand News reports (as translated byHKFP).
Chok was found to have attended a meeting at the Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong in August while running a consultation on a review of the city’s anti-discrimination laws, including those surrounding same sex marriage. During the meeting he asked churchgoers to send a petition to the EOC declaring their opposition to gay marriage.
After an audio recording was leaked, the EOC refused to renew Chok’s contract and withheld his gratuity. Chok then decided to sue his former employer through the Labour Tribunal.
The judge found in Chok’s favour, saying his freedom of speech is protected, and pointing out that he attended the church meeting in his own time.
Apple Daily reports that Chok thanked his buddy God after the ruling, adding that the EOC’s actions were an attempt to oppress his identity as a Christian. He also vowed to complain to the Privacy Commission about the fact that his church speech was secretly recorded.
Photo: Taiwan Pride 2005 (Wikimedia Commons)
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2015/11/04/equality-commission-worker-who-lobbied-against-gay-marriage-while-running-consultation
