Wall Street Journal to plead not guilty to unlawful dismissal of HKJA Chair

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 4 months ago |  IFJ Media Release

HONG KONG—The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) will plead not guilty to violating labour laws in its July 2024 dismissal of Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) Chair Selina Cheng, with a trial date set for December 2025. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) continues to stand firmly in solidarity with Selina Cheng and condemns the WSJ plea as a transparent attempt to avoid responsibility for contravening the fundamental freedoms of association and expression.

HKJA Chair Selina Cheng speaks to Hong Kong media on November 12, 2024, before registering legal proceedings against the Wall Street Journal for unreasonable dismissal. Credit: AFP

Legal representatives for the Asia branch of Dow Jones Publishing Co., the United States-based parent company of the WSJ, said in a letter to Eastern Court on July 23 that it would contest the two charges brought by Cheng. A formal plea will be registered by both parties on November 7, before bringing the matter before the courts for four days from December 18.

The plea comes shortly after Hong Kong’s Department of Justice announced in June that it would not intervene in the lawsuit, allowing it to proceed unimpeded.

Cheng lodged a civil claim at the Hong Kong Labour Tribunal against the WSJ on November 12, 2024, in response to her dismissal on July 17, 2024, as a part of “internal restructuring procedures,” just weeks after she was elected leader of the HKJA. The journalist had worked for the newspaper since April 2022, covering China’s energy and automobile sectors. 

At a press meeting in July, Cheng revealed her UK-based supervisors had directed her to withdraw from the HKJA elections three weeks prior, upon learning of her intention to run for union leadership. Despite seeking mediation with her former employer through private channels, Cheng’s request for reinstatement was denied, with the WSJ maintaining that her dismissal followed standard layoff procedures.

Hong Kong's Employee Ordinance Section 21B stipulates that it is an offence for an employer to prevent an employee from being associated with a trade union, and that an employer may be subject to conviction if an employee is terminated for exercising this right.

The HKJA and its leaders have faced ongoing persecution and retaliation since the introduction of Hong Kong’s national security law in June 2020 and is one of the few remaining media rights organisations still operating. In a recent incident, the union was targeted alongside six other independent media organisations by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department via a series of arbitrary tax audits since November 2023, with tax bills totalling around HKD 700,000 (approx. USD 89,300).

The IFJ said, "The Wall Street Journal’s not-guilty plea for the unlawful dismissal of HKJA Chair Selina Cheng is outrageous, and a typical legal response to avoid taking accountability for a clear violation of Hong Kong’s labour laws. The IFJ continues to stand in firm solidarity with Cheng and calls on the WSJ and all local and international media organisations to act in accordance with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and uphold the right of journalists to advocate for labour rights and work without fear of harassment and intimidation.” 

Photo Caption: HKJA Chair Selina Cheng speaks to Hong Kong media on November 12, 2024, before registering legal proceedings against the Wall Street Journal for unreasonable dismissal. Credit: AFP