The Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2025 was published in the Government Gazette today.

The bill seeks to amend the Trade Unions Ordinance to strengthen the regulation of trade unions to safeguard national security and improve the trade union regulatory regime, thereby facilitating trade unions’ healthy development, the Government explained.

The Labour Department further elaborated that the proposed amendments will strengthen the statutory powers of the Registrar of Trade Unions to supervise and regulate trade unions to better fulfil the duty of safeguarding national security under the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

At the same time, the amendments, giving due regard to Hong Kong residents’ freedom and right to form and join trade unions, will not adversely affect the operation of law-abiding trade unions, it stressed.

The bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first and second readings on April 30. Subject to the passage of the bill, the amendment ordinance will come into operation on the expiry of six months after the day on which it is published in the Gazette.

In the meantime, the department will further publicise and explain the amendments to trade unions in order to aid their understanding and compliance.