Hong Kong authorities look into alleged exploitation of migrant workers flagged by union

Hong Kong authorities have started looking into a slew of alleged labour exploitation cases in which dozens of migrant workers were robbed of half of their salaries, then threatened by their management company to keep silent or be fired.

The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union on Wednesday revealed it had received nearly 100 complaints from workers who said they had been exploited by management companies, including some who had their debit cards held by a company that allegedly stole half of their salaries.

In a reply to the Post, the Development Bureau on Thursday said they had received those complaints from the industry and urged workers to flag any exploitative behaviour by the management companies.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday and reiterating points on a radio programme on Thursday, union chairman Chau Sze-kit said some of the complainants had been hired to work on the construction of Hong Kong International Airport’s third runway.

As the workers did not have a permanent address in the city, they sent their debit cards for local bank accounts to their management company’s address, but the company held on to those cards, he explained.

“A full salary was paid to the workers by the contractor, but the management company had their debit cards and passwords, and took the money out,” Chau said.