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.

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).